Belgrade, April 8, 2010

SERBIA

TADIC: STATE HAS TO WORK HARDER ON FULL INTEGRATION OF ROMA
BELGRADE, April 7 (Tanjug) - Serbian President Boris Tadic conferred with representatives of the Roma National Minority Council on Wednesday, and said that the state has to work harder on the full integration of Roma people in Serbia's society.
Tadic spoke with the delegation on the difficult situation Roma people face in the country and the region, it was stated in a release of the president's press service. The president congratulated Serbia's citizens of Roma nationality on the occasion of International Roma Day - April 8.

DJELIC: SERBIA WILL ALLOCATE MORE FUNDS FOR ROMA
BELGRADE, April 7 (Tanjug) - Serbian Deputy Prime Minister for EU Integration Bozidar Djelic stated on Wednesday that Serbia intends to allocate more funds for integrating the Roma people into society and plans to invest part of the funds in the construction of recycling plants and part in the construction of 1,000 flats for vulnerable citizens.
"In the following weeks, we will discuss with the Council of Europe Development Bank the package of EUR 63.4 million that will be used for the inclusion of socially-vulnerable groups, primarily Roma people, in the period between 2011 and 2013," Djelic said in the Serbian government. After the session of the Council for the promotion of position and implementation of the Decade of Roma Inclusion at which the platform of Serbia's participation in the Second European Roma Summit in Cordoba was determined, Djelic said that EUR 4.3 million will be allocated from the package for the construction of the recycling plants.
He also stated that EUR 20 million will be allocated for the construction of 1,000 flats for vulnerable citizens in at least five municipalities, adding that considerable funds will be used for the development of microcrediting and for specific programs of education promotion. "Serbia will prove that it has a clear policy of inclusion and not of assimilation," Djelic said and added that the majority population will realize that solidarity cannot be based only on the social aid.

US DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE STEINBERG ARRIVES IN BELGRADE
BELGRADE, April 8 (Tanjug) - U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg arrived in Belgrade late on Wednesday for a two-day visit, U.S. Embassy Press Attaché Brian Stimmler told Tanjug.
At the embassy, they were unable to specify the meeting schedule and names of persons Steinberg is going to meet during his stay in Belgrade. Steinberg, who arrived here from Sarajevo, said that he would convey to Serbia's officials Washington's support to the country's European aspiration and the U.S. government's readiness to cooperation with Belgrade on strengthening stability in the Western Balkan region.

STEINBERG: SREBRENICA DECLARATION SENDS OUT STRONG MESSAGE
BANJA LUKA, April 8 (Tanjug) - U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg evaluated in Sarajevo on Wednesday that the Srebrenica Declaration adopted by the Serbian parliament is very important and that it sends out a strong message.
In Sarajevo, Steinberg and Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos met with the leaders of seven key political parties of Bosnia-Herzegovina (BIH). Steinberg said that during his visit to Belgrade he would convey to Serbia's leadership that the United States of America appreciates the brave decision on the Declaration. All sides in the region, particularly in BIH, should admit the grave past and close it in order to have the societies get together again, said Steinberg. Steinberg also said that the Srebrenica Declaration adoption by the Serbian parliament is welcome, expressing his hope that all segments of the society will join in the support to this important step.

SERBIA – ECONOMY, FINANCE

IMF PAYS IN NEW INSTALLMENT TO NBS AMOUNTING EUR 180 MN
BELGRADE, April 7 (Tanjug) - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) paid in EUR 180 million to the National Bank of Serbia (NBS) from the stand-by arrangement on Wednesday. The funds are intended for the strengthening of Serbia's foreign exchange reserves, Tanjug was told in the central bank.
This is a half of the available third installment that amounts to about EUR 360 million and including the Wednesday payment, the total funds from the stand-by arrangement that were approved so far amount to about EUR 1.3 billion. Serbia withdrew two installments of the IMF loan totaling EUR 1.13 billion in 2009, whereas the total amount of the approved funds is EUR 2.87 billion. The payment of the new installment is the result of the March 31 positive assessment of the IMF Board of Directors on the third revision of the stand-by arrangement that was completed on February 23 that is the implementation of Serbia's agreed economic program.
The IMF Board of Directors pointed out that the fiscal adjustments in 2009 were in keeping with the program but mainly based on ad hoc measures that should be replaced by lasting reforms in view of spending in the areas of planned pension system reform, structural reforms in education, health care and administration keeping the level of the social protection. The IMF stated that the banking sector is well-capitalized and with high liquidity having successfully resisted the global financial crisis.

RUSSIAN LOAN IS NOT UNPLANNED BORROWING
BELGRADE, April 7 (Tanjug) - Serbian Minister of Economy and Regional Development Mladjan Dinkic said Wednesday that the EUR 200 million Russian loan to help Serbia fund the state budget and finance the deficit is not unplanned debt, but was included in the 2010 Budget Law.
"This loan was already a part of the planned budget for this year, and it is all part of the plan to finance the budget deficit. It is not unplanned borrowing, but was envisaged by the 2010 Budget Law," Dinkic said at the Serbian parliament when asked if Serbia is borrowing too much. Dinkic believes Serbia can borrow up to 40 percent of its GDP, and its current public debt is 32 percent of the GDP. A EUR 500 million surplus in the state budget, which has been deposited with the National Bank of Serbia, testifies to the government's prudent spending.
Serbian Finance Minister Diana Dragutinovic and Russian Deputy Finance Minister Dmitry Vladimirovich Pankin signed a contract in Moscow on Wednesday on the EUR 200 million loan to be fueled into the Serbian state budget.

KOSOVO AND METOHIJA

FEITH: INTEGRATION OF NORTH REQUIRES TIME AND PATIENCE
PRISTINA, April 8 (Tanjug) - International Civilian Office (ICO) in Kosovo chief Pieter Feith has stated that the implementation of the strategy for the integration of the northern part of Kosovo requires a lot of time and patience and that the plan implementation depends on the approach of the local communities.
We have been saying all the time that this is a long-term effort and that it depends on its adoption at the local level, Feith said in an interview with the BBC in Albanian. He underscored that the Kosovo government is already taking steps towards the strategy implementation. We wish to provide better services to the population in the north and I hope that the people would appreciate it to have better contacts and a better access to the European Union and the international community, said Feith.
The majority of the population in the north of Kosovo and the official Belgrade are opposed to the strategy of that part of Kosovo into the Kosovo system developed by the Kosovo government and the ICO.

IVANOVIC: UN SOLE FRAMEWORK FOR DIALOGUE ON KOSOVO
BELGRADE, April 7 (Tanjug) - The only model for improving the situation in Kosovo-Metohija and for the dialogue that should lead to that improvement is within the framework set by the UN, State Secretary at the Serbian Ministry for Kosovo-Metohija Oliver Ivanovic said Wednesday.
There can be no dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina on technical issues without respect of Serbia's stand that Kosovo is not an independent state but in a transitional status, Ivanovic emphasized. Nothing that can be interpreted as direct or indirect recognition of Kosovo's independence would be acceptable to Serbia, he said. This stand was reiterated many times by President Boris Tadic and by all Serbian government officials, he told Tanjug in the expectation of a visit by US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg.
Mediation by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon would be very helpful, as the UN is a status neutral organization, Ivanovic noted. There can be no lasting solution for the situation in Kosovo as long as Serbia and Kosovo Albanians are not ready to find a mutually acceptable pragmatic solution, he said. The Kosovo issue has not been resolved. This is absolutely clear, with all due respect for the countries such as the US, he said. The six-point plan drafted by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon is the best model for improving the living conditions for both Kosovo Serbs and Albanians, he said.

BAN CONCERNED OVER PRISTINA'S POLICY TOWARDS NORTHERN KOSOVO
NEW YORK, April 7 (Tanjug) - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said that he is concerned over Pristina's new policies towards northern Kosovo. He called on the Kosovo Albanian government to "carefully implement" its new strategy for that part of the territory, which has a majority ethnic Serb population.
In his report to the UN Security Council, Ban said he was concerned over possible increase of tensions in northern Kosovo if the government in Pristina does not implement its strategy in a transparent manner, and in dialogue with local communities and other relevant sides. According to reports from the UN headquarters by Spanish agency EFE, Ban called on all sides to show flexibility and adopt practical measures in an effort to bring the Albanian and Serb communities in Kosovo closer. He also urged them to focus on resolving practical problems regardless of status and to find a formula for the participation of Kosovo institutions in regional and international conferences. Regional cooperation is the key for the region's European perspective, he said.
The long-term stability and development in Kosovo and the region depends on the success of the reconciliation process between the communities, he stated. Ban noted that the UN mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) was not consulted in drafting or implementing the new policies for northern Kosovo, which the Serb side rejected and sees as a provocation. As for the security situation in the province, Ban said in his report that it was still relatively peaceful, but fragile.
Ban stated that UNMIK, whose mission is to maintain security, stability and the respect of human rights in Kosovo, would continue to perform its role as a mediator between various sides in order to find solutions to practical problems, without dealing with the status issue. As regards the problem of refugees and internally displaced persons, he said that the number of returnees to Kosovo is disappointing. A strategy for return should be adopted for the entire Kosovo and stronger cooperation among institutions is necessary to that end, he said. He commended the resumption of consultations on opening a UNHCR office for property issues in Serbia.

LAJCAK VISITS PRISTINA
BRATISLAVA, April 8 (Tanjug) - Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak has begun his two-day visit to Kosovo Thursday, during which he will meet with representatives of Pristina government and international officials. Lajcak's visit to Pristina is a part of Slovakia's actions in the Western Balkans, the region which is among the priorities of the country's foreign policy, the Slovak agency TASR reported.
Prior to his departure, Lajcak said that Slovakia's position regarding the unilateral declaration of independence of Kosovo is defined in the parliament's resolution (which condemns such a step). At the same time, we want to resolve practical issues of improving the lives of ordinary people, Lajcak underscored. Lajcak will have meetings with UNMIK Head Lamberto Zannier, EU Special Representative Pieter Feith, KFOR and EULEX commanders and local representatives.