Belgrade, May 14, 2010

SERBIA – BRAMMERTZ

TADIC: SERBIA WILL DO EVERYTHING TO ARREST ICTY INDICTEES
BELGRADE, May 14 (Tanjug) - During a meeting, President Tadic has informed Prosecutor Serge Brammertz that Serbia will do everything to locate, arrest and transfer the two remaining ICTY indictees, the president's press service said in a statement. Brammertz earlier met with Prime Minister Cvetkovic, President of the National Council for Cooperation with the ICTY Ljajic, War Crime Prosecutor Vukcevic and representatives of the Security and Information Service. Further course of the process of Serbia's Eu integrations, that is the ratification of the SAA, depends on Brammertz's report, it was said in the statement. Namely, the Netherlands insists that the SAA could be unblocked only if Serbia arrests Mladic or if Brammertz gives a positive evaluation of the country's cooperation with the ICTY.

BRAMMERTZ: NO REASON TO BELIEVE MLADIC IS NOT IN SERBIA
BELGRADE, May 13 (Tanjug) - Hague Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz said that based on the information he was given he has no reason to believe Hague indictee Mladic is anywhere outside of Serbia. My associates share this impression, Brammertz told a news conference after he met with Serbia's action team for locating and apprehending Hague fugitives. We are conducting a detailed analysis of why Mladic still has not been arrested, Brammertz said and announced that the indictment against Mladic will be amended with additional charges. Brammertz said that there can be no alternative to the arrest of Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic and that he expects Serbian authorities to take practical measures to bring them to justice and the politicians to support their efforts. Commenting on the declaration condemning the crime in Srebrenica passed in the Serbian parliament, Brammertz said he will not mention the Serbian government's gesture in his next report to the UN SC which is due in June. This is not something I will mention in the cooperation report, because it is a political statement. Of course it is a step in the right direction, but I hope it was taken for the benefit of Serbia and its people and not of The Hague Tribunal, Brammertz said. President of the National Council for Cooperation with the ICTY Rasim Ljajic and Brammertz agreed that Serbia and the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) have a continuous and professional cooperation in the field of submission of documentation, access to the archives of the authorities and all other technical issues, which are carried out without any difficulties. The officials agreed at the meeting that Serbia has fulfilled all OTP requests in due time and manner, the statement released by the National Council reads. The National Council qualified the cooperation between Serbia and the OTP as excellent and one of mutual trust, the statement concludes. Brammertz stated that the ICTY has requested an amendment of the indictment against Mladic for genocide and war crimes against humanity. The amendments were determined based on the court practice of the Tribunal and the facts discovered in the past period, Brammertz told reporters in the Special Court in Belgrade. He announced that the amendments will be made public later in the week, and added that they comprise 11 counts regarding genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, more exactly the ethnic cleansing in BiH, the genocide in Srebrenica, the siege and shelling of Sarajevo and taking of UN representatives as hostages. Brammertz also conferred with the members of the action team for the location and arrest of Mladic and Hadzic in the headquarters of the Serbian Security Information Agency. He pointed out that he and his Belgrade collocutors discussed both issues in which cooperation is good and matters where there is still room for improvement. These outstanding issues will be discussed at the forthcoming talks in Brioni (Croatia), which Bramertz expects to be open and collegial. We also discussed the project regarding the institutions of BiH, Croatia and Serbia and their liaison prosecutors. We agreed that the project is very successful, and we have required of the EC to support it financially, Brammertz concluded. Brammertz said that Serbia and the ICTY have been cooperating well for some time now, but that the qualitative input is still pending. Addressing the reporters in the Special Court, Brammertz said that it will not be a surprise to say that the arrest of the two remaining Hague indictees is an absolute priority. I'm using all my meetings with operational services and politicians to urge and ask for the arrest of the two indictees, Brammertz noted. Brammertz pointed out that the preparation of the report is an ongoing process and added that there are still two weeks left before the evaluation is finalised.

IGNJATOVIC: MLADIC INDICTMENT TO BE MADE MORE SPECIFIC
BELGRADE, May 13 (Tanjug) - Dusan Ignjatovic, head of the Government Office for Cooperation with the ICTY, said that the amendments to the indictment against Mladic have not made it broader but instead more specific in order to match the latest findings. The new indictment will probably be very similar to the one against Radovan Karadzic, which leaves open the possibility to merge these two trials if Mladic is arrested in the foreseeable future. Commenting on Serge Brammertz's announcement that the Prosecutor's Office has filed an amended Mladic indictment, Ignjatovic noted that the indictment has been amended several times so far. "We still do not know all the details of the new request, but we do know that the indictment had 15 counts after its last amendmends in 2002, while the new one, according to today's announcement by the Prosecutor's Office, has 11 counts, so it will not be broader," said Ignjatovic. According to him, the new indictment lists the most serious crimes: genocide in several municipalities in Bosnia-Herzegovina, genocide in Srebrenica in particular, siege of Sarajevo and hostage-taking of UN peacekeepers. Mladic is still being accused of the heaviest war crimes beween 1992 and 1995, said Ignjatovic, adding that it means the amended indictment will not make his legal position any more difficult or easier.

SERBIA

TADIC & ALIYEV: SERBIA-AZERBAIJAN RELATIONS ARE BOOSTING
BAKU, May 13 (Tanjug) - Changes in the borders of sovereign states and secession of parts of their territories, like in the Kosovo case, are neither acceptable nor legal from the aspect of international law, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev stated after the talks with Serbian President Tadic, when they agreed that the two countries have many shared interests in international and economic areas. Tadic and Aliyev assessed that the relations between the Azerbaijan and Serbia are moving in the right direction, adding that the two countries are engaged in a close dialogue as they are faced with similar challenges and that their mutual support for territorial integrity is of great significance. "We are defending international law, the Helsinki Charter and the UN Charter and you can count on us regarding this matter," Tadic said. Aliyev pointed out that Serbia and Azerbaijan help each other and that Azerbaijan is giving strong support to Serbia's territorial integrity. We believe that the change of state borders is inappropriate and that Kosovo's unilaterally declared independence is unacceptable. This is an illegal step, Aliyev said and called on all UN member states to respect the international law. Aliyev said that he talked with Tadic about the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh region, adding that 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory is under occupation and that there are one million refugees and internally displaced people. Tadic stressed that Serbia strongly opposes secessionists who use ethnic motivation to separate from their countries which are UN member states. The presidents concluded that strong connections between Azerbaijan and Serbia are useful for the Balkan and Caucasus regions. Tadic underscored that both countries face the same challenges in defending territorial integrity and fighting against organized crime and drug dealers. He said that the countries' mutual interest is a cooperation in the economic area, particularly in the energy sector where Azerbaijan is one of the key players. The Azerbaijani companies are welcome to invest in Serbia and I believe that we can benefit from mutual investments, Tadic underscored.

ALIYEV: TADIC'S VISIT IMPORTANT FOR FOSTERING RELATIONS
BAKU, May 13 (Tanjug) - The current visit of Serbian President Tadic to Azerbaijan is an important step towards further development of bilateral ties, it was noted in Baku. The agreements that have been signed will form a strong basis for long-term strategic bilateral relations, it is stated on the website of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Serbia and Azerbaijan have very strong political ties, Aliyev said, expressing hope that economic cooperation will also follow this strategic direction. "Relations with Serbia are important to us. I am confident that our strong bilateral relations will open good opportunities for cooperation between the Balkan and Caucasus regions. We will advance, " Aliyev said. The two presidents first conferred behind closed doors and were them joined by the two delegations. Noting that Tadic's visit is the first ever of a Serbian president to his country, Aliyev said that Azerbaijan appreciates the decision of the guests to accept the invitation to visit Azerbaijan.

SERBIA WANTS BROADER BUSINESS RELATIONS WITH AZERBAIJAN
BAKU, May 13 (Tanjug) - The first Serbian-Azerbaijani business forum, will boost economic development and initiate a new phase of investment cooperation between the two countries, State Secretary at the Ministry of Economy Nebojsa Ciric said in Baku. The Azerbaijani-Serbian business forum started at a business center in the Azerbaijan capital, with the support of the Azerbaijan Export and Investments Encouragement Fund (AZPROMO). President Tadic is visiting the country heading a delegation including Economy Minister Dinkic, Interior Minister Dacic and a group of businessmen. Ciric said that Serbia is very interested in importing oil and gas from Azerbaijan. "In Serbia there is a strong petrochemical complex, and we want it to work on refining Azerbaijani oil," he said, adding that options for buying natural gas from this country and its delivery route will also be considered. Azerbaijani Deputy Economic Development Minister Niyazi Safarov said that Serbia is a friendly country, and could become a new market for Azerbaijan. Besides, Azerbaijan is currently in the process of European integration, and from that point of view, the country is very interested in close trade relations with Serbia, Safarov said.

VARGA: I DO NOT EXPECT CHANGE IN POLICY TOWARDS SERBIA
NOVI SAD, May 13 (Tanjug) - Hungarian Ambassador to Serbia Imre Varga has said in Novi Sad he does not expect that the new Hungarian government will change its policy towards Serbia, especially not in a negative sense. The new (Viktor Orban's) government has still not been formed, so it is natural that details of its program are still unknown. What is known unofficially, based on the statements of future high-ranking officials, is that there will be no significant changes in relations between Budapest and Belgrade, especially not any negative ones, Varga told. According to him, the Hungarian-Serbian cooperation should continue as before, and in some areas it should even deepen. Varga took part in a press conference, convened two days before the opening of the 77th International Agricultural Fair in Novi Sad, where Hungary will participate as a partner country. This event is a joint project characterized by cooperation of different level institutions of the two countries, and that just confirms the desire of both Hungary and Serbia to expand their connection not only in agriculture, but also in other fields, such as culture, the diplomat said. At the Agricultural Fair, which will last from May 15 to 22, Hungary will present about 100 of its companies.

SERBIA – REGION

DJELIC & FUKS ON SCIENTIFIC COOPERATION BETWEEN TWO COUNTRIES
ZAGREB, May 13 (Tanjug) - Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic conferred in Zagreb with Croatian Minister of Science, Education and Sport Radovan Fuks on bilateral cooperation and exchange, as well as on mutual scientific projects of the two countries. "In the field of education and science, but also in project topics, challenges and problems, Croatia is closest to Serbia," Djelic said, pointing out that both countries will face many challenges. He specified that there are 21 joint scientific projects, among which the domains of biotechnology and materials are most dominant. According to him, the two ministers agreed that in the following months a series of workshops should be organized in order to consider the results of mutual initiatives and raise them to the higher level of state secretaries or ministers. Besides, we have been working for several months now on the forming of regional technological fund which would have the capital of EUR 100 million, and which would be financially supported by the EU and other countries in Europe, Djelic underscored. Pointing out that the talks are the continuation of the ones which began in Belgrade several months ago, Fuks said that ideas were exchanged, and added that additional areas of mutual cooperation were identified, first of all "joint applications of scientists for projects financed by the funds of the EU and broader." Minister Djelic will in Zagreb take part in the work of the annual assembly of the EBRD, and he is also to meet with a number of Croatian officials.

DJELIC & MIMICA: SERBIA SUPPORTS CROATIA'S EU ACCESSION IN 2012
ZAGREB, May 14 (Tanjug) - Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic stated that Serbia supports Croatia's accession in the EU in 2012 as a signal of further enlargement of the Union and an incentive to the region countries to persist on their path to the EU. Djelic said this after his meeting with Deputy Speaker of the Croatian Parliament Neven Mimica and president of the national committee for the talks between Croatia and the EU Vesna Pusic, at which it was concluded that the relations between Serbia and Croatia are the key to the stability in the region. Djelic gave a positive evaluation of a visit by a Croatian parliamentary delegation to the Serbian parliament, scheduled for early June. "The experience and mechanisms the Croatian parliament had established several years ago will be an example for our parliamentarians," said Djelic, adding that the two countries will become stronger partners, which implies the most difficult issues of financial support to Croatia and Serbia, as well as to other Western Balkan countries. It is important, said Djelic, that the Union countries help the region countries prepare for accession in the EU in order to become competitive instead of becoming a burden to the EU. "We discussed ways of orientation towards the EU's financial assistance, which is not so prospective at the time of a general economic crisis, but we might expect greater European assistance by making our projects concrete," said Mimica. The parliaments in Belgrade and Zagreb are the driving engines of a better atmosphere in bilateral relations, which is very important for the European concept because the relations between Croatia and Serbia are the key to stability in the region, said Mimica. "It is equally important to Croatia to complete its process of moving closer to the EU soon as it is to have our neighbors do the same," underscored Mimica. Djelic is scheduled to meet with chief negotiator of Croatia and the EU Vladimir Drobnjak and Foreign Minister Gordan Jandrokovic. He will subsequently take part, together with Prime Minister Cvetkovic, in a meeting of the region premiers, and will meet with Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor.

KRIVOKAPIC: I DON'T KNOW IF VUJANOVIC & TADIC MET SECRETLY
PODGORICA, May 13 (Beta) - Montenegrin Parliament Speaker Ranko Krivokapic neither denied nor confirmed media reports that Montenegrin President Vujanovic had had a clandestine meeting with his Serbian counterpart Tadic. The Podgorica daily Vijesti ran an article that Vujanovic had secretly visited Tadic in mid March. Krivokapic stated that he had no information of such an event, but that the Montenegrin top echelons regularly consulted on foreign policy. According to Krivokapic, there is no need for backdoor meetings, particularly since it is well known "how some secret meetings in the recent past in the Balkans have ended." Krivokapic also told journalists that there was "no need to hide anything," as the people know improving relations is the goal of all countries in the region. Surreptitious encounters, Krivokapic explained, do not contribute to advancing relations between countries, "in this case Montenegro and Serbia."

SERBIA – EU

FUELE NOT RULE OUT A POSSIBILITY BRUSSELS MORE STRICT ON STANDARDS
BRUSSELS, May 14 (Tanjug - EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele stated that the current financial crisis in Greece would not have an impact on the pace with which the Western Balkan countries move closer to the EU but that this would depend on the pace of the reforms in those countries. He, however, did not rule out a possibility of Brussels evaluating more strictly the progress of countries in the former Yugoslav territory in meeting the standards on their way to the EU. In an interview with Radio Europe, Fuele evaluated that compared to 20 years ago, a huge progress had been made in the Western Balkan but that the burden of historic heritage is still being felt. In regards to Kosovo, there is no agreement on the issue of its status within the EU, but a consensus on its European future is evident.

MAVROMATIS: CYPRUS FULLY SUPPORTS SERBIA'S EU PATH
BELGRADE, May 13 (Tanjug) - Cypriot Ambassador to Serbia Homer Mavromatis said that his government's full support to the Serbian EU integration process and its position on Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence is to a great extent the result of close relations and comprehension between two countries sharing similar past and culture. Cyprus fully supports Serbia's EU path and hopes the country will soon be granted candidate status, Mavromatis noted at a lecture on Cyprus, which he held at Belgrade's Faculty of Political Sciences (FPN) on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Cypriot independence. Reminding that his country was part of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman Empire for centuries, until Great Britain seized control of the country in the 19th century, the Cypriot ambassador pointed to the numerous historical, cultural and religious similarities between Serbia and Cyprus. Our unconditional support to Serbia's European pathway is to a great extent connected to the past, when under Byzantium the two countries shared the same currency, religion and culture, Mavromatis pointed out. He stressed that Cyprus is one of the five EU member states that did not recognize Kosovo's independence, which Nicosia views as illegal since it represents a violation of the UN Charter, the Helsinki Act and UN Security Council 1244 Resolution and therefore endangers the sovereignty and teritorial integrity of Serbia.

KOSOVO – METOHIJA

SWOBODA: SOLUTIONS FOR SERBS - A BROAD AUTONOMY, LIKE DAYTON
BRUSSELS, May 13 (Tanjug) - Vice President of the Socialist Group in the European Parliament Hannes Swoboda has stated that one of the solutions for Serbs in Kosovo could be a broad autonomy, like the one Serbs in Bosnia-Herzegovina were given through the Dayton Agreement. According to Swoboda, an Austrian member of the European Parliament, it would mean that both Belgrade and Pristina would be responsible for northern Kosovo, similar to the way South Tyrol is treated, with its autonomy being guaranteed by both the Italian and Austrian government. Swoboda told Dnevnik that a creative approach is needed to reach a solution that involves joint responsibility, which would not endanger Kosovo's independence, but would give the Kosovo Serbs a high level of self government. Commenting that Serbia has never had a government as good as its current one, Swoboda noted that he agrees with Serbia's intention to reopen negotiations on Kosovo after the International Court of Justice delivers its opinion on the legality of Kosovo's independence, but added that the negotiations should not be about Kosovo's status. Swoboda revealed that he also told U.S. Secretary of the State Phil Gordon that he thinks it necessary to start negotiating again, but that it should be about finding a solution to the situation in Kosovo, not about its status.

SERBIA – ECONOMY

GOVERNMENT ADOPTS PROGRAM FOR REVIVAL OF INDUSTRIAL CENTERS
BELGRADE, May 13 (Tanjug) - The government adopted the Program for revival of industrial centers - Nis (southern Serbia), Zajecar (eastern Serbia), Kraljevo (central Serbia) and Novi Pazar (south-western Serbia), and of devastated areas whose level of development is below 50 % of the republic average. In the scope of the Program a decision was made to move the headquarters of the Development Fund to Nis and the National Agency for Regional Development to Zajecar. As stated, the aim of the Program for revival of big industrial centers is to reduce regional differences through the revival of production, opening of new factories and work places. The government also adopted the Decree on the terms and conditions of attracting direct investments, which should stimulate the interest of potential investors.

DINKIC IS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT TALKS WITH IMF
BELGRADE, May 14 (Tanjug) - Minister of Economy Mladjan Dinkic stated that he is optimistic about the forthcoming talks with the IMF, which will begin on May 17, and added that the government and the IMF will discuss, among other things, the increase of wages in the public sector as of September. "I am ever optimistic. The talks (with the IMF) have always been difficult, but if you have the right arguments the IMF will support you," Dinkic told reporters. Chairman of the Council of the National Bank of Serbia (NBS) Dejan Soskic said that he expects the talks with the IMF to be an open debate on unfreezing of wages and pensions. The IMF mission began the talks with representatives of the Serbian authorities on the fourth revision of the stand-by arrangement with that international institution. Technical details will be discussed until the end of the week, and the official talks will start on May 17 with a plenary meeting at the NBS building. The mission of the IMF, headed by Albert Jaeger, will meet with high officials of the Serbian government and the NBS, as well as with representatives of the private sector and the academic community. On 2009, the IMF granted Serbia a new stand-by arrangement amounting to EUR 2.9 bill, which will last until April 2011.