Belgrade, 10. 04. 2009.

CONTENT:

SERBIA

• TADIC CONDEMNS REMOVAL OF FLAG FROM CROATIAN RESIDENCE
• SERBIAN FM: CROATIAN FLAG REMOVAL RAISES TENSIONS IN REGION
• JEREMIC SPOKE TO THE LIBYAN TOP STATE OFFICIALS
• TADIC CONGRATULATES CATHOLICS ON EASTER HOLIDAYS
• OFFICIALS SEND EASTER GREETINGS
• SEEMO CRITICIZES TADIC, SERBIAN PRESIDENT DISMISSES
• SIGNED PROTOCOL ON OCCASION OF EUROPEAN CENTER OPENING

• EIGHT EU COUNTRIES URGE VISA-FREE REGIME FOR WESTERN BALKANS
• ARMY IS NOT HIDING OR ASSISTING RATKO MLADIC IN ANY WAY
• ADOPTED INFORMATION ON PROGRESS IN EU INTEGRATIONS
• KONUZIN: RUSSIA DOES NOT OPPOSE SERBIA'S EU ADMISSION

• DINKIC: ONLY SERBIA LICENSE PLATES WILL BE VALID
• COMPANY FOR “SOUTH STREAM” TO BE OPENED BY END OF APRIL
• SLOVAK AMBASSADOR: SERBIA IS A PRIORITY FOR AID
• VOJVODINA-HUNGARY BUSINESS FORUM

BELGRADE, April 9 (Tanjug) - Serbian President Boris Tadic on Thursday condemned in the strongest possible terms the removal of the flag of the Republic of Croatia from that country's residence in Belgrade, noting that he is in contact with the corresponding state organs so that the extremists and hooligans who committed the deed could be arrested and severely punished. "Tadic believes that there are extremists on both sides, but that Serbia and Croatia are determined to prevent such incidents, as confirmed by both the Serbian and Croatian officials during the recent visit by the Croatian premier to Belgrade," Tadic's press service announced. Serbia will not tolerate incidents that threaten the integrity of its neighbor, Tadic underscored, adding that the corresponding state organs are doing their job to bring the perpetrators to justice. "It is neither in the interest of Serbia or of Croatia to increase nationalist tensions that could worsen the security of Serbs in Croatia," Tadic said.

BELGRADE, Apr 9 (Tanjug) - Serbian Foreign Ministry condemned Thursday all attempts at raising tensions in region, such as the removal of the flag of the Republic of Croatia from that country's residence in Belgrade. Such acts are not in line with Serbia's state policy whose priority is protecting Serbs in the region and maintaining the best possible relations with neighboring countries, the ministry said in a release. The Croatian Embassy in Belgrade protested Wednesday with the Serbian Foreign Ministry over the flag removal from the residence building. The embassy demanded urgent reaction by Serbian authorities and protection of its diplomatic premises in Belgrade, the Croation Foreign Ministry said.

TRIPOLI, April 9 (Tanjug) - Libyan leader Muammar-al-Gaddafi has informed Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic, who is currently on a two-day visit to Libya, that this country will not give up on its decision not to recognize Kosovo's unilateral proclamation of independence. Jeremic spoke to the Libyan top state officials in Tripoli about the bilateral relations of the two countries, but also about the Kosovo issue, in respect of which Serbia received Libya's full support. Libya's place and influence in regional organizations, above all in the African Union over which it is currently presiding, are attributing great significance to the talks between Jeremic and Gaddafi. Jeremic spoke to the Libyan officials on economic cooperation between Tripoli and Belgrade. It was agreed that the mixed Libyan-Serbian cooperation committee be held in Serbia in July. The two countries expressed interest for joint projects regarding the agricultural, pharmaceutical and construction industry. President Tadic will be invited to visit Libya in June, as an honourable guest at the African Union Summit.

BELGRADE, April 10 (Tanjug) - President Tadic extended his congratulations on the occasion of the Easter Holidays to Archbishop of Belgrade Stanislav Hocevar, and the priests and believers who celebrate this big Christian holiday according to the Gregorian calendar, the Office of the President said. "It is my sincere wish that in times of great tribulations we should preserve tha values of our society and the pathway to lasting stability. I wish that you spend the holidays in peace and joy, with your families, friends and neighbors,"president said.

BELGRADE, April 9 (Beta) - Serbian officials sent Easter greetings to the bishop of Belgrade, Stanislav Hocevar, church dignitaries and believers who celebrate this holiday according to the Gregorian calendar. "On behalf of the Serbian government and myself, I send my cordial greetings on the occasion of this greatest Christian holiday, with wishes that it bring you true joy and happiness to your homes, and awaken in every person new hope and strength," it was said in the message of Prime Minister Cvetkovic. The prime minister pointed out that holidays are always an opportunity for remembering spiritual values, which help us all to overcome the difficult moments imposed by everyday life. Parliament Speaker Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic also sent best wishes. "I hope that, in this time filled with insecurity and temptation, we will find the strength to overcome all difficulties, and that the spirit of tolerance and mutual understanding will prevail among all of us," Djukic-Dejanovic said in the message.

BELGRADE, April 9 (Beta) - The South East Europe Media Organization (SEEMO) on April 9 expressed surprise and disappointment that an interview by Serbian President Boris Tadic for Austrian TV ORF correspondent Christian Werschuetz was cancelled on the eve of the president's visit to Austria. A statement released by SEEMO says that Tadic's interview with the Austrian television correspondent was scheduled for April 6 but that it was cancelled at the last minute because one of the questions the journalist intended to ask was deemed "unsuitable and unacceptable." Tadic's press office dismissed SEEMO's criticism and said that none of TV ORF's questions were unsuitable but that there were questions of a "technical nature," such as questions about changes to the labor law and how biometric passports would be issued to Kosovo Albanians. "The president of a country does not deal with questions under the jurisdiction of ministry officials," reads a statement. The statement also states that the interview for Austrian television was not cancelled because of the nature of the questions but because of the way the journalist reacted when, in good faith, it was brought to his attention. The statement continues that SEEMO should have listened to the other side before issuing its statement because "every story has two sides, and journalists are professionals who, as a rule, should listen to both."

BELGRADE, April 9 (Tanjug) - On the occasion of the forthcoming opening of the European Centre for Culture and Debate, a protocol was signed in the Savski venac municipality building on Thursday on cooperation between this municipality and the Belgrade Cultural Front, with the attendance of the Holland's ambassador to Serbia Ron van Dartel. The European Centre for Culture and Debate entitled The City, which will open on April 16, is a project of the Cultural Front and the Centre for Culture and Debate from Amsterdam. It was visualized as becoming another one of the European centres, whose work will accentuate the debate, the Director of the Cultural Front and the new European Centre in Belgrade Dejan Ubovic stated. He evaluated that "taking into consideration the relations between the two countries, the interesting thing is that this project was sponsored by the Holland Foreign Ministry." This is a three-year project worth EUR 450,000.

SKOPJE/BRUSSELS, Apr 9 (Tanjug) - Foreign Ministers of Italy, Poland, Slovenia, Hungary, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania sent this weekend a joint letter to the European Commission, in which they confirm the progress made by Western Balkan countries in meeting visa liberalization criteria, urging for speedy annulment of the Schengen visa barrier. "In our assessment, progress has been achieved in all four sectors identified in the road maps. Major reforms were launched in the area of justice, freedom and security, the letter sent to EC Vice President Jacques Barrot, Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn and the Czech EU Presidency says. The procedure could be concluded by the end of this year, followed by abolishment of the visa obligation for the citizens of those Western Balkan states that have successfully fulfilled all the requirements set out in the roadmaps as from the beginning of 2010, the letter says, Macedonian news agency MIA reports.

JAGODINA, April 10 (Tanjug) - Defence Minister Dragan Sutanovac said on Friday that the army was not hiding General Ratko Mladic, and pointed out he did not think that anyone engaged in the defence system had spent a single dinar of tax payers to assist the ICTY indictees and help them hide. "I have no dilemmas in this respect - the army is not hiding Mladic, but I cannot guarantee that not a single present or past employee of the army, which is about 100,000 people, has contacts with Mladic," Sutanovac said. "I do not know whether or not some of our retired senior officers have contacts with Mladic, but, anyway, we are not responsible for the people that are outside the defence system," Sutanovac added.

BELGRADE, April 10 (Tanjug) - The Serbian government has adopted an information on the country's progress in the process of integration with the European Union (EU), which states that all obligations of the Interim Agreement on trade with the EU are being implemented in keeping with the dynamics envisaged under the SAA, the Office for European Integrations announced on Friday. An exception is the obligation on the liberalization of transit transport through Serbia for EU firms which will be realized when the EU begins implementing the agreement. The Office statement says the total value of goods imported from the EU in February, the first month of the implementation of the Interim Agreement, was 550.6 million euros. According to figures of the Ministry of Finance, income from paid customs duty in February was 7.95 million euros. The European Commission on April 7 informed EU exporters that Serbia had begun the implementation of the agreement, pointing out the possibility of a more favorable placing of goods in Serbia, and stressing the need that goods entering the Serbian marklet should have certification that they originate from the EU.

BELGRADE, April 10 (Tanjug) - Russian Ambassador to Belgrade Alexander Konuzin said on Friday that Moscow had never opposed Belgrade's European perspective, but underlined, however, that the way in which Serbia's admission into the European Union would reflect itself on the country's relations with the Russian Federation remained to be an open issue. We are being wrongly accused of opposing Serbia's European perspective, which is simply not true, but the question is how this will affect our relations, Konuzin said at a round table on Russia's foreign policy. At the gathering which was held at the Russian House in Belgrade, he pointed to the fact that once Serbia had joined the EU, the Free Trade Agreement the country had signed with Russia would cease to be valid and the overall relations between the two countries would change due to "institutional reasons." Today, you are a victim of European solidarity, since most of the EU countries, with the exception of one or two of them, support your EU accession, but the question is whether once you have been admitted, you too will be expressing European solidarity to the detriment of Russia, he wondered. Konuzin reiterated that Russia followed the policy of the Serbian government as far as Kosovo was in question, but expressed doubt, however, over the operations of the EU mission in Kosovo, which, according to him, would be implementing the Martti Ahtisaari plan.

BELGRADE, April 10 (Tanjug) - Minister of Economy and Regional Development Mladjan Dinkic has announced that economy plates and other registration plates will be abolished for vehicles of Serbian citizens and replaced by Serbian plates after the vehicle owners pay customs duty and VAT within a period of three months. The Serbian budget is expected to be increased by between five and seven billion dinars from the customs duty and VAT that will be paid for these vehicles, Dinkic said. The government will adopt two legal proposals as lex specialis at its next session, he specified.

BELGRADE, April 9 (Beta) - Srbijagas general director Dusan Bajatovic on April 9 stated that he expects the company for the construction of the South Stream gas pipeline to be founded by the end of April, and that the Banatski Dvor underground gas storage facility will be ready for use in the next heating season. Bajatovic told the press that, at the moment, the Serbian delegation is negotiating in Moscow on the establishment of the RussianSerbian joint company, and that there are three issues that need to be harmonized. They are negotiating about whom the gas pipeline route would go to in the event one of the companies leaves the joint venture, as well as about what kind of company management would enable both Serbia and Russia to be equal partners, although Serbia has 49 percent of the shares. Bajatovic stated that a EUR5.45 million contract will be signed on April 10 with Austrian company Heat, which is to set up a production line in 233 days, thanks to which five million cubic meters of gas will be produced daily. According to Bajatovic, eight production boreholes are also to be opened, which will require EUR12 million, and that should be completed by Nov. 1. To fill Banatski Dvor will take EUR30 million, and filling operations will begin around July 1, when the gas price drops, he said, adding that this can be financed by state money, loans, or an agreement with Gazprom on consigning gas. "That means that Srbijagas could guarantee that Serbia could endure a total cessation of gas deliveries for two months, which is a European standard," he added.

BELGRADE, April 9 (Beta) - Slovakia will continue to offer developmental aid to Serbia despite the country itself facing consequences of the global financial crisis, Slovak Ambassador to Serbia Igor Furdik said in Novi Sad on April 9. Furdik met with the vice president of the Vojvodina Assembly, Martin Zloh, in Novi Sad. "The Slovak government has been offering aid to Serbia through the BratislavaBelgrade development fund since 2003 and our country has completed more than 80 projects with a total value of EUR9 million as of 2008," said Zloh at a press conference after the meeting. He added that 40 percent of the completed projects aided by the Slovak government were located in Vojvodina and in that way help and support had been offered in the development of many local administrations such as Subotica, Sombor, Zrenjanin, Vrsac, Novi Becej, Kovacica, Kikinda and Backa Topola. Ambassador Furdik announced that competitions for projects worth between EUR150,000 and EUR200,000 would be opened in the near future in order that as many companies and individuals as possible could apply.

NOVI SAD, Apr 9 (Tanjug) - Despite the general economic crisis, Vojvodina remains a favorable region for foreign investments, with a series of comparative advantages compared to other parts of the region, it was underscored at a Vojvodina-Hungary Business Forum, jointly organized on Thursday by Hungary's company IDT-Hungary and Vojvodina Fund for Investment Support (VIP). Hungarian Consul General in Subotica Ferenc Nagy expressed readiness of the Hungarian Embassy and Consulate in Serbia to serve as a link in business deals, underscoring that representatives of the two countries meet regularly at various levels. President of the Vojvodina Assembly Sandor Egersi welcomed the participants of the meeting, underscoring that businessmen of Hungary and Serbia may find the right paths for future development by joining forces. According to President of the Vojvodina Executive Council and Co-Chairman of the Mixed Serbia-Hungary Business Committee Bojan Pajtic, the province is a good place for investment, even at the time of crisis. "A part of our advantage over other areas derives from the measures at the state level, which refer to reduced taxes and the Free Trade Agreement with Russia and some other Eastern countries, while the other part refers to the contribution of the province's administration. I refer here to the well-developed infrastructure, stimulation for new jobs and other," said Pajtic.