SERBIA – EU

TADIC CONFERS WITH KELLER ON EU INTEGRATION
BERLIN, March 13 (Tanjug) - President Boris Tadic conferred with German President Horst Keller and assured him that sustainable peace, stability and economic development of Western Balkans can be realized only through its integration in the EU. The EU is one of the greatest peace projects in international politics, and lasting and sustainable peace and economic development of Western Balkans can be realized only through its integration in the EU, Tadic told after the meeting. He noted that he and Keller discussed bilateral relations, EU integration, and a vision of Western Balkans as part of the EU. The talk also focused on the global recession, ways of alleviating it and prospects for creating mechanisms that would in the future protect the world economy from instability and recession. The world was hit by two great global recessions in the past 100 years, and economic oscillations cannot be ruled out in the future either, Tadic said. This is why the present generations of politicians have a special responsibilty for creating international and multilateral mechanisms to prevent future crises and blows that are endangering the whole world and peace and stability, Tadic said.

TADIC: BALKANS ESSENTIAL IN EUROPEAN PEACE PROJECT
BOCHUM, March 13 (Tanjug) - President Boris Tadic was presented with the Steiger Award in the category of Europe in Bochum, Germany, on Saturday. The Steiger Award is given each year to renowned persons from around the world, and this year it will be presented for the sixth time.The award is a result of a private initiative and a desire for cultural and social support to the Ruhr area, for contributions in the fields of music, sports, media, environment protection, film, Europe, improving European unity and humanitarian engagement. Former laureates include Israeli President shimon Peres, former IAEA head Mohammed al Baradei, Afghan President Hamid Kharzai, former German forieng minister Hans Dietrich Genscher and others. The following are excerpts from Tadic's speech on the occasion: Thank you for recognizing me and the citizens of Serbia as committed Europeans! Be aware that we have been working very hard since the beginning of democratic changes in Serbia, 10 years ago, to bring the country and the whole region of Western Balkans closer to the full membership in the EU. Those efforts were not simple for us after decade of ethnic conflicts and wars, followed by social and economic devastation in the 90s. And as much as transition was painfull, we were never thinking to abandon the vision of prosperous Serbia in the family of other European nations. Today I would like to pay tribute to the creator of that vision, first democratic Prime Minister of modern Serbia and one of my closest friends - Zoran Djindjic. Prime minister was assassinated seven years ago because he strongly believed that there is no other way for Serbia, as to become part of Europe and share its values and ideas. He had courage to carry out this vision after many years of isolation and after bombing campaign in 1999 which destroyed not only bridges and factories, but affected also people's faith and trust in ideas of democratic changes as well. Zoran Djindjic knew that only this vision could help Serbia to overcome the past. And he was ready to take all risk. We owe him our deepest respect for this. His assassination could not kill this vision that became strong commitment of millions of Serbian citizens to work even harder to build democratic Serbia. Last December Serbia applied for membership in the EU.Whenever positive answer comes we will accelerate our social and economic reforms in order to assure the rule of law, protections of human and minority rights. Despite global crisis we will continue building market oriented and sustainable economy. Our goal is to create welfare state based on solidarity. Serbia is already significant part of efforts and respectable partner in fight against organized crime and global terrorism. Republic of Serbia is fully commited to peace and stability in the region and thus in the whole of Europe.Our position is that all outstanding post-Yugoslav issues and regional challenges, including our province of Kosovo must be resolved only by peacefull and democratic means. For the last 50 years EU has become the most succesfull project of peace and cooperation among different nations in the history. People of Bochum and this region - Ruhrpott - know very well what PROJECT EUROPE means in reality. You experienced very hard times through the centuries: wars and occupation, revolutions, terror and destruction. It is today our common responsibility to make this project sustainable for the future and to extend it to the whole continent because it means stability and welfare for all Europeans. We are all part of it - Germans and French, Serbs and all nations in Western Balkans.


FULE: SERBIA DEDICATED TO EU MEMBERSHIP
BELGRADE, March 15 (Tanjug) - EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule has stated that Serbia's EU membership application has proven its dedication to that strategic goal. In his text written for Blic Fule says that the EU has to work together with Serbia to achieve that goal and promote the values that Europe is based on. According to Fule, Serbia has made remarkable progress in the past several months when it comes to its European integration, cooperation with the ICTY, Interim Agreement implementation and visa liberalization. However, Fule also stated that Serbia needs to strengthen the rule of law, which is essential for a functioning democracy and economy, but also presents a challenge for the country, explaining that it should deal with issues concerning the justice system's independency, professionalism and efficiency, as soon s possible.

ROBINSON: MLADIC AND HADZIC TO BE TRIED BY ICTY
THE HAGUE, March 12 (Tanjug) - President of the ICTY Patrick Robinson has said that if the court's two outstanding fugitives, Mladic and Hadzic, are not arrested by the end of the court's mandate, they will still be judged by the Tribunal under the terms of the so-called 'legacy mechanism.' "We hope that Mladic and Hadzic will be arrested and brought to justice before the end of our mandate, and that they will be assured a fair trial," Robinson told BIRN/Justice Report. "(But), if this does not happen, they will be tried under the 'legacy mechanism' of the Tribunal," he pointed out.The Hague Tribunal is expected to complete its work no later than Febr 2014. Robinson stressed that, according to the so-called exit strategy of the ICTY, all trials should be completed by mid-2011, except for the proceedings against Karadzic, which should be finished by the end of 2012. All appellate proceedings should be finished by mid-2013, and the appellate proceeding in the case of Karadzic by February 2014.

SERBIA – ALBANIA

META SAYS SERBIA IS ALBANIA'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT PARTNER
BELGRADE, March 12 (Tanjug) - Albanian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ilir Meta said that Serbia is an extremely important partner of Albania, and voiced confidence that the bilateral relations between the two countries will improve significantly in the following period. Albania views Serbia as its very important partner, not only at the bilateral level, but also at the level of the region. Cooperation between countries is the only way in which Eu integration can be speeded up, which is our joint objective, Meta told a news conference that was held on the second day of his official visit to Serbia. Meta admitted that there are significant differences between Belgrade and Tirana in terms of Kosovo status, but underlined, however, that this should not jeopardize the cooperation in other fields. Asked if he had discussed his visit to Belgrade with the representatives of the interim authority in Kosovo, Meta said that he is in constant contact with Pristina and that his stay in Belgrade is, of course, something he discussed with them. The (interim) authorities in Kosovo understand and support this visit, since it is evident that Albania and Serbia have a key role in the process of reconciliation between Serbs and (ethnic) Albanians, he said, adding that he plans to visit Serbia more often in the future and that he expects the visits of Serbian officials to Albania will also be more frequent. Asked to comment on the status of the ethnic Albanian minority in south Serbia, Meta said that a lot has been done for those people, but noted, however, that the Albanians in that part of Serbia, as well as many Serbs in other parts of the region, live in difficult conditions. This is because our region has parts which are very poor, Meta explained, adding that he is grateful to Serbia's President Boris Tadic for all that is being done in respect of the integration of the ethnic Albanians living in south Serbia.

META: HOPE FOR BETTER FUTURE FOR SOUTHERN SERBIA MUNICIPALITIES
BUJANOVAC-PRESSEVO, March 12 (Tanjug) - Albanian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ilir Meta and President of the Coordinating Body for southern Serbia and Minister of State Administration and Local Self-Government Milan Markovic expressed hope n Bujanovac that a better future is in store for all citizens of Bujanovac, Pressevo and Medvedja municipalities. Meta expressed his conviction that the period of ethnic discrimination is over in the area and that the time has come to create better cultural and economic conditions for the people to live. He also expressed hope that the path to the EU, in addition to economic development, is the sole path towards peace, understanding and coexistence in the three municipalities. Markovic expressed satisfaction with the visit and the talks he had with Meta. The past was very difficult here for all people, regardless of ethnicity, he said. It is time to look to the future and make sure that young people are not held hostage of the unfortunate past, Markovic said. Meta was welcomed in Bujanovac and Pressevo by top local ethnic Albanian representatives.

SERBIA – HUNGARY

TADIC AND SOLYOM: SERBIA & HUNGARY HAVE GOOD COOPERATION
NOVI SAD, March 14 (Tanjug) - President Tadic and Hungarian President Laszlo Solyom conferred in Novi sad and pointed to the high level of bilateral cooperation, especially in the economy. Both countries are successfully resisting the impact of global recession, Tadic said. The talk focused on construction of infrastructure linking Belgrade and Budapest, he said. In 2010, Serbia will complete the Belgrade - Horgos highway and probably also the section toward Kelebija the following year, he said. This will be another opportunity for the two presidents to meet again, Tadic said. Solyom is paying a three-day visit to Vojvodina to celebrate with its Hungarian community the Hungarian national holiday dedicated to the Revolution of 1848. Tadic and Solyom agreed that Tadic should visit the Serb community in Hungary on St. Sava's day next year. Solyom pointed the the importance of Vojvodina's new Statute, especially the law of national councils, which secures full cultural autonomy to ethnic minorities, including the Vojvodina Hungarians. The Hungarian community in Vojvodina is helping Serbia get closer to the EU and Hungary will do everythging in its power to place acceptance of Serbia's candidacy on the EU agenda as soon as possible, Solyom said. Solyom noted that he frequently meets with Tadic, (the last time was in Subotica last December), which demonstrates their personal friendship as well as very good cooperation.

SOLYOM: SERBIA'S TREATMENT OF ETHNIC MINORITIES IS EXEMPLARY
HORGOS, March 12 (Tanjug) - Hungarian President Laszlo Solyom assessed in Horgos, northern Serbia, that Serbia's treatment of ethnic minorities is exemplary, especially stressing their cultural autonomy. Solyom, who is on a three-day visit to Serbia at the invitation of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians party, said that he is happy that ethnic minorities in Serbia have cultural autonomy, unlike some other countries where they are legally prohibited to use their mother tongue and educate their children in Hungarian. The care of the homeland for the Hungarians abroad represents the unity of the Hungarian people. It is thanks to this unity that the Hungarians in the diaspora prevail over all the challenges they face, Solyom said. In Horgos, a Serbian town close to the Hungarian border, he attended the unveiling ceremony of a monument to the founder of Hungary, King Istvan.

EGERESI: HUNGARY SUPPORTS SERBIA'S EU INTEGRATION
NOVI SAD, March 12 (Tanjug) - Vojvodina Assembly Speaker Sandor Egeresi said after meeting visiting Hungarian President Laszlo Solyom that Hungary supports Serbia's integration in the EU.Solyom reiterated that Hungary wants to see Serbia within the European Union as soon as possible and that Vojvodina has a special role in this regard, Egeresi told a press conference which Solyom did not attend. Egeresi said that he and Solyom discussed bilateral cooperation, fostering good neighborly relations, regional ties and other issues. They pointed to the importance of the drafting of the Danube development strategy which should result in forming a Danube macroregion, probably in the first half of 2011 during Hungary's EU presidency. After meeting Egeresi, Solyom left for Zrenjanin, where he will meet Catholic Archbishop Laszlo Nemet and visit several Hungarian communities in the Banat region.

SOLYOM MEETS WITH HUNGARIAN INTELLECTUALS IN VOJVODINA
NOVI SAD, March 12 (Tanjug) - Hungarian President Laszlo Solyom arrived in Novi Sad, as part of his three-day unofficial visit at the invitation of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians party. At the Ujvideki Szinhaz theater in Novi Sad, the high-ranking guest from Budapest took part in a round table discussion with Hungarian intellectuals from Vojvodina, on the possibilities of preserving the Hungarian national identity and strengthening the local Hungarian community. Solyom arrived in Vojvodina to celebrate March 15, one the greatest Hungarian national holidays dedicated to the Revolution of 1848-49, with his compatriots.



SERBIA – REGION

TADIC: SERBIA INSISTS ON RESPECT OF UN PRINCIPLES
NOVI SAD, March 14 (Tanjug) - President Tadic said that Serbia will take part in the planned regional conference at Brdo pri Kranju only if representatives of Albanians from Kosovo-Metohija attend in keeping with UN principles and in conformity with the UN Res 1244. After meeting Hungarian President Laszlo Solyom, Tadic said that Serbia's integrity must not be brought into question at international forums in any way, either implicitly or explcitly. These principles cannot be changed. Serbia will not attend any international forum at which UN principles are not respected, he said. Serbia wants Kosovo Albanians to attend international forums, but only in a way that would not bring Serbia's integrity into question, he said. If these principles are respected at Brdo pri Kranju, Serbia will attend, Tadic said.

TADIC: SERBIA HAS NOTHING AGAINST GANIC'S EXTRADITION TO BIH
BELGRADE, March 14 (Tanjug) - President Tadic said that Serbia has nothing against extradition of the wartime member of BiH Presidency Ejup Ganic to BiH. Ganic's extradition to Serbia is not the central issue, the central issue is that he should stand trial, Tadic said at a celebration of the 20th anniversary of Serbian Renewal Movement. Serbia has nothing against extradition of Ganic to the judiciary authorities of his own country - BiH, Tadic said. All countries in the region must complete their cooperation with the ICTY, he said.

JOSIPOVIC: RELATIONS WITH SERBIA AT STANDSTILL
BRDO PRI KRANJU, March 12 (Tanjug) - Croatian president Ivo Josipovic said following a meeting with his Slovenian counterpart Danilo Tuerk at Brdo pri Kranju that the relations with Serbia are currently at a standstill and expressed hope that this will be only temporary. Relations should be fostered for the sake of the future, he said. He expressed his conviction that talks between Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor, Croatia's Jadranka Kosor and Serbian President Tadic at the Western Balkans conference next week at Brdo will be successful and also benefit Croatian-Serbian relations. Josipovic said that SE Europe needs to find a way out of the crisis and resolve problems in relations, which is why the initiative of Slovenia and Croatia to hold a conference on the WBalkans is very important. Josipovic and Tuerk expressed support to confidence building and cooperation in the region on the basis of the European model, and to resolving disputes on the basis of international law. The main topic of the talks between Josipovic and Tuerk was bilateral relations and unresolved issues.

SERBIA

CVETKOVIC AND MINISTERS LAY WREATH
BELGRADE, March 12 (Tanjug) - Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic and members of his cabinet laid a wreath on the memorial plate in the government's courtyard on Friday, at the same spot where the former prime minister Zoran Djindjic was assassinated seven years ago. Apart from Cvetkovic, Deputy Prime Ministers, Jovan Krkobabic, Mladjan Dinkic and Bozidar Djelic respectively, also paid respect to the assassinated prime minister, as well as the ministers Slobodan Milosavljevic, Snezana Malovic, Petar Skundric, Oliver Dulic, Srdjan Sreckovic, Dragan Sutanovac, Jasna Matic, Svetozar Ciplic and Rasim Ljajic.

CVETKOVIC CONTINUES HIS VISIT TO KUWAIT
KUWAIT, March 15 (Tanjug) - Prime Minister Cvetkovic, Minister of Trade and Services Slobodan Milosavljevic and Minister of Labour Rasim Ljajic have continued their three-day visit to Kuwait started. The Serbian delegation is scheduled to meet with Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Parliament Speaker Jassem Al-Kharafi, Chamber of Commerce Chairman Ali Mohammed Thunayan Al-Ghanim and General Director of Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development Abdulwahab Al-Bader. The Serbian officials will also visit the Kuwaiti national oil company.

CVETKOVIC WITH KUWAIT PARLIAMENT SPEAKER
KUWAIT, March 15 (Tanjug) - Prime Minister Cvetkovic, who is paying a three-day visit to Kuwait, met with Kuwaiti Parliament Speaker Jassem Al-Kharafi and Chamber of Commerce Chairman Ali Mohammed Thunayan Al-Ghanim. During his visit, Cvetkovic will also attend the ceremony of awarding diplomas to 2008/09 university graduates.
SERBIA IS MAKING GREAT PROGRESS WITH BOLOGNA DECLARATION
VIENNA, March 12 (Tanjug) - Minister of Education Zarko Obradovic assessed at a Ministerial Conference on Higher Education in Vienna, marking ten years of the Bologna Declaration, that Serbia is making great progress in the implementation of the document. "It did not take us long to show the maturity and quality that were evident even before," Minister Obradovic told, and reminded that Serbia started implementing the Law on Higher Education in 2006 and that "not even three years have passed and the country has already received a very high rating of 3.8." Obradovic said that the visa liberalization enabled the mobility of Serbian students and professionals, which is being fostered further through different programs. Obradovic said that the Vienna conference is a review of what has been accomplished in the first ten years of the Bologna declaration, and the start of a new stage in the creation of a common European higher education space. The ministerial conference started in Budapest on Thursday and closes in Vienna on Friday.

MILOSAVLJEVIC ATTENDS CLOSING PLENARY IN PARMA
PARMA, March 12 (Tanjug) - A declaration pledging to reduce the adverse health impact of environmental threats in the next decade was adopted at Friday's closing plenary of the Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health in Parma, Italy, where climate change and its impact on the health of European citizens was discussed, said Health Minister Tomica Milosavljevic. In a phone statement Milosavljevic said that he presented Serbia's positive experience with energy efficiency to the ministerial conference. "We gave the example of the Clinical Medical Center in Belgrade, the biggest hospital in Serbia, where 17 coal furnaces have been replaced with only one gas furnace, energy savings are 30 to 40 percent, carbon dioxide emission has been halved and sulfur dioxide emission eliminated," he said. Milosavljevic, who is heading the Serbian delegation, said that the project was rated very positively and declared a good initiative for countries in southeastern Europe and beyond. He reminded that the conference, which was organized by the World Health Organization, started on March 10 and closed on Friday with the adoption of the Declaration and Commitment to Act, and that the main principles will be implemented in the coming years.

SERBIA – ECONOMY

BAJATOVIC: GAS INFRASTRUCTURE IN SERBIA COMPLETED BY 2015
KRAGUJEVAC, March 12 (Tanjug) - Director of Srbijagas company Dusan Bajatovic stated that he expects that the construction of the entire gas infrastructure in Serbia will be completed by 2015, when the South Stream gas pipeline should be completed as well. Speaking about Srbijagas's investments in the following period, he said that the construction of the gas infrastructure in the entire country, not including the two gas storages, requires another EUR 450 mil. Bajatovic announced that "all the current gas infrastructure projects will be reexamined, and a new feasibility study will be carried out, in order to determine the real needs of consumers." According to him, the construction of the second gas storage - Itebej, which implies the construction of the gas pipeline towards the Belgrade suburban settlement of Batajnica, will begin by the end of 2010. The first stage of construction of Itebej gas storage will be completed by the end of 2011, and this will enable for two billion of cubic meters of gas to be stored in Serbia, which also includes the capacity of Banatski Dvor, the underground gas storage in northern Serbia. "The value of the project for the construction of the second gas storage is EUR 105 mil, EUR 75 mil of which will be granted by the EBRD, whereas we will provide the remaining amount of money," he underscored.

GREAT POTENTIAL FOR SERBIAN PRODUCTS AT GERMAN MARKET
BELGRADE, March 12 (Tanjug) - There is a great potential for Serbia and its products at the German market, greater than that presented so far at the Munich Fair, Munich Fair Director for southeastern Serbia Stefan Reschke told. A greatest increase can be ahieved in the export of meat and agricultural produce he said. There are many good exhibitions at the Munich Fair that Serbian companies can use to promote exports to the EU and other markets, he said. Exhibiting at Munich Fair is not intended only for the German market, as most of the fairs held in Munich are international and leading in Europe and the world, he said. Serbia should also present itself as a tourism destination, as it can offer wonderful natural sites, excellent food, friendly people and a rich culture, which can attract many visitors from Germany, Reschke said.