Belgrade, May 7, 2010

SERBIA – REGION

TADIC: "WE EXTEND AN OFFER OF RECONCILIATION TO EVERYONE"
POZAREVAC, May 6 (Tanjug) - President Tadic said that Serbia definitely wants to become a member of the EU, and that it will never give up on protecting its integrity in Kosovo. Those are the two key points of Serbia's current and future policy, Tadic said at a ceremony in Pozarevac, marking 180 years of the Serbian Armed Forces' elite Guard unit. He stressed that Serbia takes care of its people, wherever they may live, and added that it runs a peaceful policy. Tadic emphasized that both the EU and Kosovo are goals and strategic directions for Serbia's foreign policy, adding that "the participation in any international forums will be in accordance with those principles." The president noted that it is extremely important for all citizens, institutions and political parties to stand united on those goals. "We extend an offer of reconciliation to everyone, because today we need unity," said Tadic.He remarked that Serbia is a key factor in southeastern Europe, stressing that instability in Serbia brings instability in the entire Balkans. Tadic pointed out that stability in Serbia creates the necessary requirements for the development of southeastern Europe and brings benefits to all people who live in the region. The president stated that the Serbian military also has its place among all those goals, and not just in the present, but in the future as well, and he expressed the country's willingness to continue investing in the military in spite of all its hardships. Besides the president, the ceremony was attended by Defence Minister Sutanovac and Chief of the General Staff General Miletic.

TADIC: WE WANT TURN OUR OPPONENTS INTO OUR FRIENDS
PANCEVO, May 6 (Tanjug) - In Pancevo, in the presence of party officials and members of the Serbian government, President Tadic stated that his party is integrated into the very foundations of the state, adding that DS deserves to be called a state-building party only if it demonstrates solidarity and the intention to help those who need it. Tadic pointed out that "You should not be surprised if we took some foreign policy steps which are not a part of conventional politics, as we want turn our opponents into our friends," Tadic underscored. He said that Serbia sympathizes with the Greek people, and all its neighbours in the region.

JOSIPOVIC: STOP COMPETING IN THE PAST
ZAGREB, May 6 (Tanjug) - Former president of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and later Serbia Slobodan Milosevic is the most to blame for all war crimes committed in the former Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia during the 90s, Croatian President Ivo Josipovic said in Sibenik, commenting on a statement by Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic. Serbia is encouraged by Josipovic's speech in the Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH) Parliament, where he expressed deep regret that Croatia's policy during Franjo Tudjman's presidency caused human suffering and divisions in BiH, Jeremic said at a meeting of the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative in Ancona, Italy. Saying that his speech did not mention individuals, but pointed out that policies in BiH were bad, Josipovic stressed that everyone should be clear on that. "My statement, which was not a measure of guilt, was an incentive to stop competing in the past and instead compete in the present and future as to who will make a bigger contribution to peace and help organize BiH as a functional country of equal peoples," said Josipovic. The Croatian president pointed out that his speech in the BiH Parliament, apart from being "a collection of good wishes for BiH," was also "an incentive to create an opening for Croats in BiH to achieve equal rights after the coming constitutional changes." "My policy, starting with that speech in the BiH Parliament, but also before that and in the future, is to call on all the governments in the region to stop competing in the past and start solving the problems of the people," said Josipovic. The governments of the region should focus on the open issues that exist in all the countries of the region instead of discussing who said what and what the region's infamous past was like, Josipovic noted.The Croatian Foreign Ministry and the media there also criticized Jeremic's statement.

KOSOR CRITICIZES JEREMIC FOR STATEMENT
ZAGREB, May 6 (Beta) - Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor criticized Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic for abusing a speech given by Croatian President Ivo Josipovic to Bosnian MPs. "The government dismiss Jeremic's statement. It is a reinterpretation and certainly abuse of President Josipovic's speech," Kosor told reporters after laying wreaths at the tomb of former Croatian president Franjo Tudjman, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the first multiparty election in the country. According to her, Croatia never reached for someone else's territory and led a just, defensive and liberational war. The prime minister reiterated that Croatia supports all of its neighbors on their Euro-Atlantic path.

DEGERT: ALL COUNTRIES IN THE REGION TO SIT AT THE TABLE IN SARAJEVO
BELGRADE, May 6 (Beta) – The EU wants all its partners in the region to participate in the regional conference in Sarajevo because the idea of that gathering is to send a message from the EU that the entire Western Balkans has a European perspective, said Vincent Degert, the head of the EU Delegation to Serbia. "We also have to look at what has been done to date in all the countries over the last 10 years, since the conference in Zagreb in 2000, and we also have to see how we can move forward," Degert told in the Media Center. He underlined that it was because of this that it was important for all countries in the region to sit at the table in Sarajevo. Speaking on possible consequences of the crisis in Greece for Serbia, Degert said that the government in Serbia had "acted very wisely" by earlier reaching a standby arrangement worth EUR 300 million with the IMF. "That stabilized the situation here in Serbia. That was done last year. At the same time, that move provided security to all foreign banks operating in Serbia, and so the continuation of business loans was made possible," said Degert.

FULE: EU MEMBERS UNITED OVER EUROPEAN FUTURE OF THE REGION
KOSOVSKA MITROVICA, May 7 (Tanjug) - EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule said in Kosovska Mitrovica, where he opened an Information point, that the EU member states are fully committed and united over the European future of the region as a whole. In northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica, Fule also visited the EU house and underscored the importance of the movement of the region as a whole towards the EU. It was important to me to also visit this part of Kosovo and see for myself that the EU is present here, said Fuele, adding that the reason for that is that the EU member states are fully committed and united over the European future of the region as a whole. He also said that EUR 20 million had so far been invested in this part of Kosovo and that the trend would continue. Our goal is to help the local authorities secure the best possible service to the citizens living in this part of Kosovo in the area of education, health, said Fule. I am confident that it is in the interest of all to have good police, courts that work and these are the projects that we will be working on in the coming months and years, said Fule. Fule is planned to open a business complex in Zvecan today, while in Pristina he is scheduled to take part in the marking of Europe Day.

KOSOVO – METOHIJA

JEREMIC: THERE WILL BE A LOT OF MISINFORMATION AND PRESSURE
PANCEVO, May 6 (Tanjug) - Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic said that changing UN SC Resolution 1244 on Kosovo-Metohija is out of the question and that it is the only international framework for solving the future status of Kosovo. "There is no chance the resolution will be changed. Most UN Security Council members oppose that, including two permanent members with veto power," Jeremic said. He noted that there are no secret talks and that the resolution remains in effect as the only framework within which "we can talk and negotiate" about a solution to the Kosovo problem. "We are entering a key stage as we await the ICJ ruling. There will be a lot of misinformation and pressure but we need to remain calm and stay on the path we are on," cautioned the foreign minister. He said that altering state policy is out of the question and that Serbia "will continue to defend its integrity and sovereignty through political, legal and diplomatic means." "I expect a new beginning and a new opportunity will open up after the ICJ opinion," Jeremic said.

IVANOVIC & BENTLER: PROBLEMS - BY LEGAL MEANS WITHOUT VIOLENCE
PRISTINA, May 6 (Tanjug) - KFOR Commander General Markus Bentler and State Secretary in the Ministry for Kosovo and Metohija Oliver Ivanovic agreed in Pristina that the problem of removal of equipment of Serbian mobile telephony operators should be resolved by legal means and without violence, KFOR said in a release. They also agreed that an information and communication campaign should be implemented in advance in such situations, the release says. The talk also focused on the situation in northern Kosovo and on the need for supporting the return of internally displaced persons.

FULE: HIGH-LEVEL DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE EU AND PRISTINA
BRUSSELS, May 6 (Beta) - European Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule said that over the next few months he was expecting new momentum in the EU integration of the countries of the Western Balkans, as well as the "opinion" of Brussels on Serbia's readiness to progress toward Europe. "Over the next months tangible progress is envisaged in the policy of accepting new member states in the EU and in the process of integrating the Western Balkans and Iceland" in the EU, Fuele told the Brussels based journal Europolitics. Fuele underlined that the planned "promotion of trade and interpersonal connections between the EU and Kosovo" ought to bring Kosovo out of its current stagnation. The European commissioner said that, with agreed highlevel dialogue between the EU and Pristina, it could overcome the problem of some EU members recognizing Kosovo's independence and others not. "They are important elements of our strategy, which also include the operations of EULEX, and I think that it is a good strategy, at a time when we do not have a unified stance on status." According to him, the introduction of an appropriate balance between the internal capabilities of the EU to integrate into its ranks new members and the speed of future integration of countries is critical for the longterm success of the EU enlargement policy.

MAVROMMATIS: EU INTEGRATION KEY TO RESOLVING PROBLEMS LIKE KOSOVO
BELGRADE, May 6 (Tanjug) - The Ambassador of Cyprus to Serbia Homer Mavrommatis said that there are similarities between the Cyprus problem and the problem Serbia has regarding Kosovo, and that EU integration is the key to resolving such problems. Integration in European structures is the key for resolving the Cyprus problem and for peaceful coexistence of its Turkish and Greek communities, he told an international symposium at the Belgrade Faculty of Philosphy marking the 50th anniversary of the Republic of Cuprus. Cyprus became a member of the EU in 2004 and joined the eurozone in 2008.

WESTERWELLE MEETS WITH SEJDIU
BERLIN, May 7 (Tanjug) - In a meeting with Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle promised Germany's active support to Kosovo's reform process and EU integration, the German Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Westerwelle pointed out that at the same time Kosovo and Serbia should strive for pragmatic cooperation in matters of common interest, which is not only in the interest of Kosovo and Serbia, but all of Europe. He urged the Pristina government to actively work towards full integration of Kosovo Serbs. The German foreign minister assessed that Kosovo authorities should focus primarily on solving the problems the European Commission has identified in the justice system and in fighting corruption and organized crime.

FULE: FULL SUPPORT TO KOSOVO AND SERBIA IN ESTABLISHING TALKS
PRISTINA, May 7 (Tanjug) - European Commissioner Stefan Fule said in Pristina that fight against organized crime and corruption implies concrete measures, not only adoption of relevant laws and verbal stands. After meeting with Kosovo's Prime Minister Hasim Taci and parliament speaker Jakup Krasnici, Fule said that, despite the negative attitude of Kosovo (interim) officials, EULEX will continue the investigation it started by searching the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications building, all in keeping with its mandate. EULEX has the mandate to provide information about the course of investigation, Fule added and called on the EU Mission to continue with its work.Fule pointed out that the EC wants to see some concrete results in fighting negative social phenomena. Hasim Taci said that politics should not interfere with the domain of justice, and added that Kosovo institutions are willing to cooperate with EULEX and the International Civilian Office (ICO), in the manner most favorable to Kosovo's Eu perspective. Taci confirmed that Kosovo is prepared for talks with Serbia, which according to him, should be based on the equality principle. Fule underscored that the EU will give its full support to Kosovo and Serbia in establishing talks.

SERBIA

TADIC: SERBIA IS LEADER IN FIGHT AGAINST ORGANIZED CRIME
BELGRADE, May 7 (Tanjug) - President Tadic stated that Serbia is the leader in the fight against organized crime in the region and that despite the challenges it is being faced with, it will not stop confronting mafia in South East Europe. "What Serbia is doing today is of crucial importance for the future of our children. We will show that no one has greater power than the state of Serbia," Tadic said at the event marking the Day of the Counter-Terrorist Unit (CTU). Tadic also said that the CTU is dedicated to its people and tradition and that the unit had always been the first to respond in the fight against organized crime and terrorism. Tadic said that Serbia is at the time of challenges, that it is faced with economic problems that are the consequence of the 1990s, as well as with the problem of organized crime that is present in the region as a whole. "No one is stronger than the state and you can count on me, because I am, as the supreme commander, part of your unit," concluded Tadic. The Unit is marking its day today at the Serbian Interior Ministry CTU base in the presence of President Tadic and Interior Minister Ivica Dacic.

SERBIAN PARLIAMENT RATIFIES EU CULTURAL HERITAGE CONVENTION
BELGRADE, May 6 (Tanjug) - The Serbian parliament has ratified the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and the Council of Europe Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society, the Ministry of Culture said. At the proposal of the Ministry of Culture, the parliament ratified the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage whose goal is conservation of intangible heritage at local, national and international levels, the ministry release says. The ratification of the Council of Europe Framework Convention is crucial for establishing an all-round system for the protection and management of Serbia's cultural heritage, the release says. The Convention provides a framework for states to harmonize their policies for the protection and management of cultural heritage, the release says. The Convention was adopted by the Council of Ministers in 2005 and was ratified by eight other states before Serbia, the release says. Serbia, as a country rich in intangible cultural heritage, is endeavoring to establish a system for its protection and safeguarding, bearing in mind the inter-dependence of tangible and intangible cultural heritage and natural heritage and the danger of their disappearance and devastation, the ministry release says.

SERBIA – EU

DELEVIC & DEGERT: REGIONALIZATION TO DRAW MORE EU FUNDS TO SERBIA
BELGRADE, May 6 (Tanjug) - Adopting the amendments to the Law on Regional Development, which envisages forming five regions of similar population size, will allow Serbia to attract more EU funds, Director of the Serbian government's EU Integration Office Milica Delevic said. Asked if this will provide easier access to EU pre-accession funds at a news conference at the Media Center, she said that the regionalization was not a political request of the EU, whose members include both regionalized and centralized countries. According to her, regionalization will provide all levels of government with the opportunity to learn how EU processes work and explains this to citizens. Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Vincent Degert said that the EU realized about 90 percent of the projects it planned to finance in Serbia last year. He said that regionalization will help the EU direct funds more effectively and that it will identify the poorest regions, which will receive most of the funding. Amendments to the Law of Regional Development should contribute to balanced regional development and more efficient use of EU pre-accession funds. Regions are categorized as developed - those above the state GDP per capita average - and undeveloped - below the average. Five regions of similar population size will be formed - Vojvodina, Belgrade, Sumadija and Western Serbia, Southern and Eastern Serbia, and Kosovo-Metohija.

BELGRADE TO MARK EUROPE DAY ON MAY 9
BELGRADE, May 6 (Tanjug) - Belgrade will mark Europe Day, May 9, with various manifestations designed to inform citizens about the implications of EU membership, Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Vincent Degert, Director of the government's EU Integration Office Milica Delevic and City Councilman Zeljko Ozegovic announced. Reminding that this year marks 60 years of the Schuman Declaration, considered the first step in creating what later became the EU, Degert noted that the EU continues to expand and strengthen. He said that the EU expanded to Eastern Europe in 2004, but that it is still missing big parts - particularly the Western Balkans - and noted that there is now more solidarity among member countries. Delevic reminded it is vital that Serbian citizens are now allowed to travel freely after visas were abolished at the end of last year. She said that implementing laws which are in line with EU legislation and which first and foremost benefit Serbian citizens is important on Serbia's road to the EU. Ozegovic said that the City of Belgrade will also take part in the celebration of Europe Day and noted that a European Information Center will open at the Belgrade Youth Center on Sunday, May 9 at 12 a.m.

DEGERT ON SERBIA'S STATUS IN EU
BELGRADE, May 7 (Tanjug) - Head of the European Commission (EC) delegation to Serbia Vincent Degert has stated in Belgrade that in 2011, the EC might give its opinion on Serbia's status regarding the EU membership candidacy. A lot of important things have been done in the past years, and there is still plenty to do, but this is a process, Degert said for television B92. It is important to continue with the energy, he added. When asked about the pace of Serbia's EU integration and whether it can be expected in 2014 or 2018, Degert said that it depends on how well the country has prepared. The EC is ready to work with Serbia at any time, when the Council of Ministers makes that decision. The Council session is in June and I am certain that they will consider the possibility of giving the green light for the Commission to start working with Serbia on the questionnaire. After that, the EC is to give its own opinion, Degert pointed out. I believe that the administration in Serbia has already started preparing answers to the questions from the questionnaire and that in 2011 the EC may give its opinion, he underscored.

SCHIEDER: NO ALTERNATIVE FOR SERBIA'S EU INTEGRATION
BELGRADE, May 7 (Tanjug) - State Secretary at the Austrian Finance Ministry Andreas Schieder stated that one should wait for the opinion of the ICJ on the independence of Kosovo before moving on to details on specific issues. I believe that Serbia's policy is constructive and directed towards searching for solutions and in that sense I expect acceptable solutions rather than insurmountable obstacles, Schieder said for daily Blic. Schieder is paying a visit to Belgrade, where he is to sign agreement between Serbia and Austria on double taxation. Schieder said that Europe finds it very important for Serbia to continue following its EU pathway in a consistent and determined way, adding that he believes that there is no alternative for Serbia's EU integration.

SERBIA – ECONOMY

TADIC: STANDARD OF LIVING TO IMPROVE BY END OF YEAR
POZAREVAC, May 6 (Tanjug) - President Tadic said that he expects the standard of living to improve by end of the year. 2010 will be the last year in which the effects of the global recession will be felt, he said, expressing his conviction that Serbia will feel the first serious signs of improvement at the end of this year. Serbia's citizens should be told that life will not be easy until the end of 2010, but that a well conceived plan for the next ten years will help the country overcome the current troubles and challenges, he said. Many Serbia's citizens are facing poverty and one million are living in hardship, and the society must show solidarity with them, he said. The situation is even more difficult in other countries in the region, and is not easy in all EU states either, Tadic noted. The eurozone countries are facing fresh challenges, he noted. Considerable investments are expected in infrastructure, energy, traffic, transport, telecommunications and education sectors in the coming years, he said.

DRAGUTINOVIC: GOVERNMENT PREPARING AUSTERITY PACKAGE
BELGRADE, May 7 (Tanjug) - The Serbian government is preparing a package of austerity measures which will allow it to react quickly if the Greek crisis spills over into Serbia and the parliament should pass the package in July, Finance Minister Diana Dragutinovic said. The Minister pointed out that the banking sector in Serbia is sufficiently liquid and capitalized and there is no reason for concern. She told at the Serbian government building that the country will implement the new austerity package only if a system and financial crisis is declared. Asked if she was concerned about the Greek crisis affecting Serbia, the minster responded affirmatively, but reminded that the Greek problem will soon be resolved through International Monetary Fund and EU aid, which will help contain the crisis to that country.