Belgrade, May 12, 2010

SERBIA

TADIC SEND CONDOLENCES TO GADDAFI AND LYBIAN PEOPLE
BELGRADE, May 12 (Tanjug) - President Tadic has sent a telegram of condolences to Lybian leader Muammar Gaddafi and the Lybian people for the the deaths of 103 people who were killed in a plane crash near Tripoli. "The Serbian people and myself are deeply upset by the news about such great loss of life. Please accept my deepest condolences and tell the families of the victims and the Lybian people that we sympathize with them at this difficult moment," said Tadic.

CVETKOVIC & DORIS LEUTHARD: EXCELLENT POLITICAL RELATIONS BETWEEN
BERN, May 11 (Tanjug) - Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic met with Swiss President Doris Leuthard, and they described the political relations between the two countries as excellent, adding that they think the economic relations will improve with increased trade in the coming period. Leuthard told a news conference in Bern that her country supports Serbia's EU integration and acceptance into the WTO. The two countries have a lot in common and Switzerland welcomes the Serbian government's efforts in stabilizing the region and cooperating with the surrounding countries, said Leuthard, adding that people of different religions and roots should live together in peace. Cvetkovic stated that the Zurich business forum was the right place for a meeting between the two countries companies. Commenting on the Kosovo issue, Cvetkovic noted that Serbia and Switzerland have different views on that, but that the Serbian authorities have moved the issue out of the political arena and into the legal one, and that everyone is now waiting for the ICJ decision on the legality of Kosovo's unilateral decalaration of independence."After the ICJ decision, we want a solution that will be acceptable to both sides, and we are open to negotiations on all issues," said Cvetkovic. Leuthard also stated that it would be good to wait for the ICJ decision. Cvetkovic also commented on the recent discovery of a mass grave in southwestern Serbia by saying that all those responsible for war crimes must be held accountable and stressing that individual crimes must not be blamed on an entire nation. The prime minister remarked that the Serbian Parliament adopted a resolution on Srebrenica massacre recently and called on the other governments in the region to show where they stand in terms of the unfortunate events from the 90s and subsequently turn to the future."

CVETKOVIC & WYSS: 2010 REPRESENTS KEY YEAR FOR EU INTEGRATION
BERN, May 11 (Tanjug) - Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic said after his meeting with President of the National Council of Switzerland Pascale Bruderer Wyss that Serbia is focused on its European future, and that 2010 will be a key year for the Western Balkans' EU integration process. "This year will be a key one for the EU integration process of the entire region. Of course, we believe that the EU will recognize the efforts Serbia puts in by moving the country and the entire region a step closer to itself," Cvetkovic said in Bern. The prime minister commented on the Kosovo issue by saying that the ICJ opinion on the legality of Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence will help restore the negotiations on Kosovo's future status, which could allow the two sides to reach a mutually acceptable solution. Cvetkovic noted he had agreed with his hosts that Serbia and Switzerland should strengthen their economic cooperation, especially when it comes to energy, ecology, IT, infrastructure, electronics and agriculture.

DACIC WITH OSCE MINISTERS
BELGRADE, May 12 (Tanjug) - Deputy Prime Minister Ivica Dacic met with ambassadors of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and expressed his satisfaction over the cooperation the Serbian Ministry of the Interior (MUP) has so far had with the OSCE Mission in Serbia and the OSCE's neutral stand on Kosovo's status, the Ministry said in a statement. It is also underscored that Dacic recalled during the meeting that MUP had renewed the Memorandum on Cooperation with the OSCE Mission in Serbia. The Memorandum defines the priority areas of cooperation - fight against organized crime, responsible police work, community police work, expert training, strategic planning, public relations and communication, while the police work will continue with the realization of projects that had been planned for each individual field, it was said in the statement. In his address to the ambassadors, Dacic underscored the importance of the cooperation between MUP and other law enforcements in the region, particularly in the fight against organized crime and human trafficking.

GORDON'S VISIT TO PROMOTE BIDEN'S MESSAGE
BELGRADE, May 11 (Tanjug) - During his upcoming visit to Belgrade, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Philip Gordon will promote Vice-President Joseph Biden's message that despite their differing stands on Kosovo, the U.S. and Serbia should work to improve cooperation in all other areas, the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade told. Gordon will visit Serbia, Macedonia and Kosovo from May 10 to 14, where he will meet with government officials and representatives of civil society and non-government organizations. During his visit to Serbia, Gordon will re-enforce the message Vice President Biden relayed last year that Serbia and the U.S. have different stands on Kosovo but that the U.S. encourages Serbia to establish cooperation with Kosovo in practical matters and also endeavors to strengthen cooperation between the U.S. and Serbia in other areas, U.S. Embassy Press Attache Brian Stimmler told. According to him, Gordon will meet with Kosovo authorities to encourage the strengthening of Kosovo institutions and decentralization, and he will reiterate that the status of Kosovo is settled. Gordon is the second top Washington official to visit Serbia in just over a month. Deputy State Secretary James Steinberg visited Serbia, when he called Serbia a key U.S. partner in the region and expressed support for Serbia and the region's EU integration.

GORDON: PARTITIONING KOSOVO UNACCEPTABLE TO U.S
BELGRADE, May 11 (Beta) - The U.S. opposes any division of Kosovo, which it recognizes as a sovereign and independent state, believing that Belgrade and Pristina should hold talks as soon as possible, not about Kosovo's status, but about solving practical issues, Assistant U.S. Secretary of State Philip Gordon said. Gordon said the EU integration of Serbia and the entire Balkans was a strategic goal of Barack Obama's administration, but warned that Belgrade would have difficulties in achieving membership with the Kosovo issue unsolved. Gordon said the ruling of the ICJ, whatever it is, "could be used as a turning point" for overcoming the Kosovo issue and solving practical problems, so that living conditions for all citizens can improve. We do think new talks between Serbia and Kosovo on these practical matters should be held. I wouldn't call it negotiations, because Kosovo is an independent and sovereign country, and it cannot be a question of discussing its status, but it can and must be a matter of investing effort to resolve some of these practical issues, the U.S. official said. Gordon, assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, believes Pristina and Belgrade should hold direct negotiations and that there was no need to hold off until the ICJ rules. Asked if any division of Kosovo would be acceptable to Washington, Gordon said the U.S. did not support the idea, as it would be a precedent leading to ideas of new partitions, which was in nobody's interest. He rejected claims that a new U.N. SC resolution on Kosovo to replace Resolution 1244 was being considered in Washington, stressing that Kosovo was independent and that the U.S. saw no purpose for new efforts in the U.N.

SERBIA – EU

DJELIC CONFIDENT SERBIA WILL FULFILL BRAMMERTZ'S EXPECTATION
BELGRADE, May 12 (Tanjug) - Deputy Prime Minister for European Integrations Bozidar Djelic expressed his confidence that Serbia would fulfill the expectations regarding the continuation of the cooperation with the ICTY, so as to have the process of ratification of the SAA unblocked at the EU Council of Ministers in June. The competent services are doing everything in their power to complete the cooperation with the ICTY, said Djelic with B92 on the occasion of the visit by Serge Brammertz to Belgrade, ahead of submitting his report on Serbia's cooperation with the ICTY before the UN Security Council in the second half of June. If Brammertz's expectations get fulfilled, his report would become a basis for unblocking the SAA ratification process by the EU Council of Ministers in mid-June, said Djelic.

QUALITY, NOT SPEED OF EU INTEGRATION IS IMPORTANT
BELGRADE, May 11 (Tanjug) - In the process of integration in the EU, its is not the dates that are essential, but the quality of the necessary reforms to that end, head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Vincent Degert and head of the government's EU Integration Office Milica Delevic agreed.The greatest challenge Serbia is facing this year as regards EU integration is maintaining the energy it invested in 2009, Degert said. In the political sector, the time when the EC will give its opinion on Serbia's status regarding the EU membership candidacy, and the start of ratification of the SAA are crucial, he said. Addressing a conference on the challenges of Serbia's EU candidacy held in Belgrade, Degert said that the EC is ready to focus on Serbia's candidacy as soon as its gets the green light. As regards the start of SAA ratification, Serbia must maintain a good level of cooperation with the ICTY, and its search for fugitive indictees must be active, efficient and produce results, he said. Serbia must also work on the rule of law, regional cooperation, good neighborly relations and a good economic agenda, he said. Delevic said that due to the global recession, the EU does not have the time to pull Western Balkan states into EU integration, and that the speed of that process will therefore depend on the region's countries themselves. The conference was sponsored by the EU Delegation to Serbia and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

EU APPRECIATES BELGRADE'S EFFORTS TO IMPROVE JUDICIAL SYSTEM
BELGRADE, May 12 (Tanjug) - Head of EU Delegation to Serbia Vincent Degert has stated that Brussels is pleased with the fact that the Belgrade authorities make efforts to solve the issue of the judicial reform in the early phase of the country's EU integration. Judicial reform is a structural reform which is not simple, but it is one of the most important reforms for every country. Such reforms cannot be completed overnight. We observe the situation and appreciate the efforts that authorities in Belgrade have made in improving the judicial system, Degert told. When asked about the letter which President of EC Jose Manuel Barroso sent to the Association of Judges of Serbia and the Prosecutors' Association of Serbia regarding the judicial reform, and why the letters were not addressed officially to the state bodies, Deggert said that this is simply because Barroso was answering to letters he received from the associations. Barroso received three letters - from the Association of Judges, from the Prosecutors' Association, but also one from the International Association of Judges. He simply answered to those who wrote to him. He sent the letters in a fully transparent way, Deggert said. According to him, what is important is the content of the letters.

SERBIA – REGION

SERBIAN & MONTENEGRIN POLICE TO FOSTER COOPERATION
BELGRADE, May 11 (Tanjug) - The Director of Serbian Police Milorad Veljovic and the Director of Montenegrin Police Veselin Veljovic agreed in Belgrade that strengthening of police cooperation in order to prevent all forms of criminal acts is necessary and expressed readiness to overcome difficulties from the past.The case of Saric narco-cartel, the successful cooperation of the two countries' police forces in the action against the crime group Pink Panther and the action against drug trafficking from Columbia, dubbed Sah mat (Checkmate), were discussed at the meeting. Both directors of the Serbian and Montenegrin police find it necessary to improve their cooperation in finding criminals for whom international warrants have been issued, exchanging information, experiences, practice and methods, and preventing illegal migration and people trafficking, Serbian Interior Ministry said. They also pointed to the strategic importance of the two police forces liaison as a professional response to security challenges and threats, at the service of the citizens in the region. They also concluded that the fight against organized crime should enforce the liaison between the two countries' police forces since it is the only way to ensure safety in Western Balkans.

KOSOVO – METOHIJA

IVANOVIC: EULEX SHOWS READINESS TO FIGHT CRIME
BELGRADE, May 11 (Tanjug) - State Secretary in the Ministry for Kosovo-Metohija Oliver Ivanovic praised the arrest of Sabit Geci and the decisiveness of EULEX to fight crime and corruption in the province, and pointed out that is it is necessary that the arrested be convicted in order for EULEX to 'gain points.' By launching the investigation in one of the ministries and arresting the former commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and chief of the Kosovo secret service Sabit Geci, the police of EULEX showed readiness to deal with organized crime and corruption in the Kosovo interim institutions as well as with ethnically motivated crimes. In order for EULEX to gain points, the arrested persons should also be legally convicted. In any case, we will wait for the results of the investigation, and then we will be able to make more serious evaluations, Ivanovic told.

KOSOVO AUTHORITIES REQUEST MEETING WITH SERBIAN OFFICIALS
PRISTINA, May 12 (Tanjug) - Kosovo authorities have requested an urgent meeting with Serbian officials to discuss a potential mass grave in Rudnica, southwestern Serbia, where more than 250 bodies of ethnic Albanians killed during the war in Kosovo are suspected to have been buried. Chairmain of the Kosovo Government Missing Persons Comittee Prenk Djetaj said in Pristina that the location in Rudnica has more than 250 bodies of ethnic Albanians killed during the war, according to the media in Pristina. The possibility of an existing mass grave in Rudnica was first implied by the Serbian Office of the War Crimes Prosecutor. Djetaj stated that the Kosovo authorities had been trying to locate the mass grave in that area for the past several years. According to Djetaj, the Kosovo authorities have known about the grave's existence since 2005, and an excavation attempt was made in June 2006, but the location was wrong.

BULGARIA IN FAVOR OF DIALOGUE ON PRACTICAL ISSUES
PRISTINA, May 11 (Tanjug) - Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nikolay Mladenov encouraged Kosovo authorities to start dialogue with Serbia on practical issues to make the lives of all in the region easier. This should be a practical dialogue that concerns the problems of the citizens in this country and in any other country in the region, Mladenov said after meeting Kosovo Foreign Minister Skender Hiseni in Pristina. Bulgaria urges all countries in the region to take part in the Sarajevo summit, he said. Hiseni said said that Kosovo will take part in the forthcoming Sarajevo summit only on equal footing with the other participants. He did not say whether Kosovo has been invited to attend the summit. During his visit to Pristina, Mladenov has also met with Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu and with Prime Minister Hasim Taci. He will also confer with representatives of the recently created Gracanica municipality.

GERMANY DECIDES TO KEEP ITS TROOPS IN KOSOVO ANOTHER YEAR
BERLIN, May 11 (Tanjug) - The German government decided to extend its troops' stay in Kosovo by another year and to reduce the maximum number of soldiers from 3,500 to 2,500. Deputy Spokesperson for the Government Christoph Steegmans said the decision is appropriate to the current situation, and that there are some 1,500 German troops at the moment. Steegmans noted that international troops will be necessary in Kosovo until its security forces are able to guarantee the safety of all ethnicities. The Bundestag, the lower house of the German Parliament, needs to ratify the decision to make it legally valid.

SERBIA – ECONOMY

BUSINESS DAY SERBIA HELD IN ZURICH
BELGRADE/ZURICH, May 11 (Tanjug) - A total of 10 Serbian and 50 Swiss companies attended the business meeting dubbed Business Day Serbia, which was held in Zurich, Vice President of Chamber of Commerce told. Vesovic pointed out that Serbian presentation at the meeting included information on the country's economy, possibilities for investing in the country and special benefits granted to investors in Serbia."We also discussed the possibilities for establishing business cooperation, both in the domain of commerce and further investments, technological development, product placement and purchase of Swiss technical equipment for Serbian companies, and export of Serbian products to the Swiss market," he said. Vesovic recalled that Prime Minister Cvetkovic, Serbian ambassador to Switzerland and Swiss ambassador to Serbia also attended the meeting. According to him, a number of companies from the sectors of metal industry, machine production and food industry were presented at the meeting."It is realistic to expect some results, but not in the near future, since only initial talks have been heldd so far," He said and qualified as important the fact that Serbia's exports to Switzerland have increased by 50 % and that Switzerland's exports to Serbia have decreased by 20 %, "because this shows that Serbia's commercial exchange with Switzerland has reached a better balance."

ECONOMIC RELATIONS LAGGING BEHIND POLITICAL ONES
BELGRADE, May 11 (Tanjug) - The economic relations between Serbia and Slovakia are lagging behind political ones, economic advisor in the Slovakian embassy Peter Molnar said. Endeavors should be exerted to improve the situation as soon as possible, as great potentials exist in both countries, he told a forum of Serbian and Slovakian businessmen at the Belgrade technical achievements fair. Slovakia is ready to transfer its experiences in fostering closer ties between science and economy, he noted, and pointed to good bilateral cooperation in the energy sector. Slovakian Chamber of Commerce official Katarina Bjelcik welcomed the growing presence of Serbian companies in Slovakia. Some Slovakian companies had difficulties in gaining access to the EU markets and are ready to transfer their experiences to Serbian companies to help them avoid making the same mistakes, she said. Chamber of Commerce official said that Slovakia's share in Serbian exports is 1.1 % and in imports 1.5 %. She cited energy, transport, environment protection, metal and electronic industries, vehicle parts industry and agriculture as prospective sectors for cooperation.

GREEK" BANKS IN SERBIA ARE SAFE
BELGRADE, May 12 (Tanjug) - At present, there are no signs that would indicate that Serbia's citizens should have some kind of fear and concern over the status of "Greek" banks in our country, State Secretary at the Finance Ministry Slobodan Ilic stated. "All Greek banks are well funded, have positive results, carry out their duties towards their clinets and are solvent," Ilic specified for Studio B. Ilic confirmed that the government is developing a set of anti-crisis laws, which would be implemented in case of an outbreak of a "systemic crisis for any reason." According to Ilic, those laws will include two very important legal acts, on the fiscal system and fiscal responsibility. The law on fiscal responsibility is very important because it should introduce by far more obligations and more fiscal responsibility of all ministries and all other budget beneficiaries, clarified Ilic.This law should reduce the possibility of indebtedness to about 40 % of the GDP, said Ilic, adding that Serbia's public debt had a growing trend in the past years but that it is still in a critical zone, such as the one Greece is.