Belgrade, April 16, 2010

SERBIA – REGION

SERBIAN, CROATIAN & HUNGARIAN PRESIDENTS IN PECS
BELGRADE, ZAGREB April 15 (Beta) - The presidents of Serbia, Croatia and Hungary, Tadic, Josipovic and Solyom, will meet in the Hungarian city of Pecs. According to statements from Zagreb and Belgrade, Tadic, Josipovic and Solyom will meet at around 11 a.m. and will address journalists after the onehour talk, after which they will take a stroll together around Pecs' city center. It was earlier announced in Budapest that the three presidents would discuss specific forms of cooperation. The presidents will visit Zsolnay Museum and meet with the mayor of Pecs before going to lunch. After the threeway meeting, Tadic will also meet in Pecs with representatives of the SelfGovernment of Serbs in Hungary, and then, together with the Croatian president, he will visit the village of Backi Monostor, in Vojvodina, where he will meet with representatives of the Croatian community there.

DACIC & FASSINO: EUROPEAN INTEGRATION KEY TO REGIONAL STABILITY
BELGRADE, April 15 (Tanjug) - Interior Minister Ivica Dacic and member of the Italian parliament's Committee for Foreign Affairs Piero Fassino concluded that European integration of Balkan countries significantly contributes to regional stability. Dacic and Fassino agreed during their meeting in Belgrade that the region's European integration and Serbia's EU accession need to move at a faster pace, the Serbian Interior Ministry said in a statement. The Serbian and the Italian official concluded that the two countries and nations have friendly relations and very good cooperation between state prosecutions and interior and justice ministries. Dacic, who is also a deputy prime minister in the Serbian government, pointed out the exceptional cooperation in emergency situation management and traffic police. Fassino, who is a former justice minister, assessed that Euro-Atlantic integration of the entire Balkans is the solution to stability and security problems in the region. He considers the stability of Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH) and the situation in Kosovo the most sensitive issues in the Balkans at the moment, it is said in the statement. Dacic stressed that when it comes to BiH, "it is important to maintain peace, respect the Dayton Peace Accords and the agreement of all three nations, and not to force a solution." According to him, the Kosovo issue should in no way impede Serbia's European integration, it is said in the statement.

COOPERATION BETWEEN SERBIAN & CROATIAN POLICE EXEMPLARY
OPATIJA, April 15 (Beta) - Serbian Police Director Milorad Veljovic stated that the cooperation between the Serbian and Croatian police is an example of how two countries can cooperate in the fight against crime. He told journalists at a conference on the 17th annual assembly of the South East Europe Police Chiefs Association (SEPCA) held in Opatija, that he expects other countries to establish cooperation like that between Croatia and Serbia. The Association's president, Bosnia-Herzegovina Police Chief Zlatko Miletic, stated that the assembly aims to develop cooperation between the police, and that one of the topics was the changing of the Association's documentation so that it can act independently in the future. He added that cooperation has been begun with the Bulgarian police, which has so far not been a member, and with the U.S. FBI, mostly in the fight against organized crime. Croatian Police Chief Oliver Grbic said that in the past months, the Association has done more in the domain of its members' cooperation than has been accomplished in years. He added that there is almost daily direct cooperation between the member countries' police chiefs. Asked about the potential threat to the safety of state officials in Croatia, considering the information about threats to Serbia's top state officials and the international criminal actions in the region, Grbic said there is no such serious threat. He added, however, that cooperation is good in that sector as well, so any potential information is thoroughly investigated. The Association gathers ten South East European countries.

WARLICK: SERBIA IS IMPORTANT REGIONAL PLAYER
BELGRADE, April 16 (Tanjug) - U.S. Ambassador to Serbia Mary Warlick has stated that Serbia can be a very important regional player, adding that there are many things that can be done in order to strengthen the partnership between the U.S. and Serbia in the area of security, which has so far been a strong foundation of relations between the two countries. In an interview for Politika, Warlick pointed out that the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State reiterated the U.S.'s desire to reset the relations with Serbia and expand cooperation in all areas. She said that the U.S. would like to strengthen relations in the area of trade investments and help Serbia complete the accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). When asked if the talks on the Kosovo status can be reopened, Warlick said that the the U.S. believes that the issue of Kosovo's independence and territorial integrity is resolved, adding that she hopes that there are ways to handle practical problems in the territory and focus on the future. Warlick stressed that the Serbian parliament's adoption of the Declaration on Srebrenica was a very positive and important step towards reconciliation.

SERBIA

DEJANOVIC EXPRESSES CONDOLENCES TO MEIRA KUMAR
BELGRADE, April 15 (Tanjug) - Serbian parliament speaker Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic sent a telegram of condolences to the Speaker of the Lower House of the Indian Parliament Meira Kumar over the death-toll of a major cyclone in north-east India, in which more than 100 people were killed and several hundreds were injured. In the telegram, Djukic-Dejanovic said that she received the news with a mixture of sadness and sympathy, and that Serbian citizens share the pain of the families of the victims. "On behalf of all the members of the Serbian National Assembly and myself, I wish to express deepest condolences to you and the families of the victims", Djukic-Dejanovic's telegram reads.

SUTANOVAC: SERBIA TO REMAIN NEUTRAL
BELGRADE, April 15 (Tanjug) - Radical Party MPs in the parliament assessed that ratifying the nine memorandums and agreements on military cooperation signed with various countries would be the first step to joining NATO, while Defense Minister Dragan Sutanovac dismissed their claims by saying the agreements will not jeopardize Serbia's military neutrality. "Every agreement we sign gets us one step closer to the EU. We need to keep discussing the status of Kosovo with those countries that disagree with us on the issue, but Serbia has a chance only if it opens up and starts serious diplomatic activity. The Defense Ministry is doing its part in the process," Sutanovac said. The Defense Minister said that nobody has a problem with signing economic or education agreements with the countries that have recognized Kosovo. For a European Serbia MPs noted that the proposed agreements strengthen Serbia's defense capabilities and the standing of the Serbian army, while also contributing to exchange of information and training of military personnel.

SAMARDZIC-MARKOVIC & JAGLAND CONFER ON COOPERATION
BELGRADE, April 15 (Tanjug) - Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjorn Jagland conferred with Serbian Minister of Youth and Sports Snezana Samardzic-Markovic, and commended Serbia's efficiency in implementing its national strategies for young people and for fighting violence in sports. Samardzic-Markovic and Jagland conferred on fostering cooperation between the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the CE. Jagland expressed his conviction that cooperation between the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the CE in matters of youth policy and prevention of violence in sports will continue to grow. The CE has given great support to Serbia in youth policy and sports sectors, he said. Serbia's national strategy for youth, in whose drafting 16,000 young people had taken part, is now a part of the CE manuals for drafting strategic documents, she said.She added that her ministry had organized a conference on fighting violence in sports in cooperation with the CoE.

SERBIA – EU

U.S. SUPPORTS EUROATLANTIC INTEGRATION OF WESTERN BALKANS
WASHINGTON, April 15 (Beta) - The U.S. will support the necessary reforms and Euro-Atlantic integration of countries of the Western Balkans, which is also a strong incentive for continued reforms, the peaceful resolution of disputes and regional cooperation, it was concluded at the meeting of the U.S. Senate's subcommittee for European affairs. The assistant U.S. secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, Philip Gordon, stated that the Western Balkan region was of key importance for a European future, and that this was why it was the focus of the constant and intensive engagement of the administration of President Barrack Obama. The absence of a political compromise in Bosnia, the stabilization of Kosovo and the name dispute between Greece and Macedonia are still the challenges in the region, Gordon said, stressing that the U.S. administration will continue, in close cooperation with its European partners, to work on accomplishing the longterm goal of the successful integration of the region into the Euro-Atlantic community. The assistant U.S. secretary of defense for international security, Alexander Versbow, said that a stable, democratic and economically advanced Serbia was important for the integration of the Balkans into the European community, adding that Serbia had made great progress since the toppling of the regime of Milosevic. He said that the government, under the leadership of Serbian President Tadic, is dedicated to the carrying out of reforms necessary for admission into the EU, and to the arrest of the remaining war crimes suspects, Mladic and Hadzic.

INTERMODAL TRANSPORT FOR LONG-TERM ECONOMIC GROWTH
BELGRADE, April 15 (Tanjug) - Serbia needs investments in intermodal transport (involving multiple modes of transportation) and joining the Trans-European Transport Networks, as this would enable sustainable long-term economic growth, Assistant Minister of Infrastructure Zorica Djeric-Stojicic said. At the beginning of a two-day international conference on development of intermodal transport between Serbia, Montenegro and Italy, held in Belgrade, the assistant minister said that the Corridors 10 and 7, that is, investing in road, rail and water transport, are priorities both for Serbia and the EU. She pointed to that fact that trains in Serbia very often run behind schedule, and that roads of the first and second order are more than 20 years old, which calls for building of new ones. She also said that it is necessary to clean up waterways. More than 70 percent of intermodal transport in Serbia is rail-based, and 90 percent of container transport is either by rail or by road. Stojicic said that the general master plan for transport will be drafted soon, pointing out that a number of projects, mainly in the area of rail and river transport, are financed from the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) funds.

SERBIA – ECONOMY

SIGNED A CONTRACT WITH THE CHINA ROAD AND BRIDGE CORPORATION
BELGRADE, April 15 (Tanjug) - Minister for the National Investment Plan (NIP) Verica Kalanovic and Belgrade Mayor Dragan Djilas signed a contract with the Chinese company CRBC (China Road and Bridge Corporation) on the construction of a 1.5 kilometers long bridge across the Danube River in Belgrade, which is to connect the Zemun and Borca parts of the city. Kalanovic announced at the Serbian parliament, where the contract worth EUR 170 million was signed, that the construction of the bridge should begin in September, adding that this infrastructural project is expected to be completed by the end of 2013. Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Mladjan Dinkic, who attended the signing of the contract, stated that this project is very significant for Belgrade and Serbia, since according to the agreement, a total of 45 percent of the works will be carried out by the Serbian construction companies and construction materials manufacturers. NIP will provide fifteen percent of funds, and the rest of the money will be secured by the Chinese Exim bank, whereas the costs of expropriation and technical preparation will be financed by the city. The project also envisages the construction of access roads in the length of 21.5 km.

BILATERAL MEETINGS OF SERBIAN AND DUTCH COMPANIES
BELGRADE, April 15 (Tanjug) - A total of 12 Dutch and 70 Serbian companies met at the Serbian Chamber of Commerce (PKS) with the purpose of establishing cooperation and finding business partners in the sector of traffic, transport and logistics. The talks were organized by the PKS, Serbian Foreign Economic Relations Board and the Association for Transport and Telecommunications of Serbia, in cooperation with Dutch partners - The Netherlands Council for Trade Promotion (NCH) and NEA Transport research and Training institute (NEA). The fact that such a great number of Serbian and Dutch companies took part in the meeting is the result of great interest for cooperation in this sector, as well as the need for more frequent meetings on this issue, the organizers of the gathering assessed.

FIAT TO ANNOUNCE NEW FIVE-YEAR PLAN SOON
ROME, April 15 (Tanjug) - According to Fiat's new five-year strategic plan, which is due to be presented in the next ten days, the Italian car-making giant envisages to build around 200,000 vehicles a year at Zastava's former plant in Kragujevac during the first phase, with an option to increase the production output to 300,000 at a later date, the internet portal Automotive News reports. Automotive News reminds that Fiat will invest USD 955 million (EUR 700 million) in a joint company with the Serbian government. In April 2008, Fiat bought 67 percent of shares in Serbia's only automaker Zastava Automobili (Zastava Cars), best known for having produced a low-cost model the 'Yugo,' designed on the basis of the Fiat 127, the Internet text reads. "It is likely that the first new model that will be built at the plant is a subcompact sedan to replace the Fiat Linea," Automotive News writes. The new sedan, which is code-named project 342, should be sold in central and eastern Europe following its debut in late 2011, and could be exported to the US as well, but as a model for the Chrysler brand. According to the report on the internet site, western Europe will most probably get the second Serbia-built model: a subcompact hatchback derived from the new sedan, which would fit in between the Panda small car and the Grande Punto. "Most of the cars made in Serbia will be exported to Europe and Russia," the Internet portal writes.

BELGRADE-BAR TRAINS TO RUN 100 KM/H IN TEN YEARS
BELGRADE, April 15 (Tanjug) - The train from Belgrade to Bar, Montenegro, should reach speeds of 100 kilometers per hour in the next ten years, with investments of EUR 200 million to 300 million to improve the railway tracks, said Laurent Franciosi, a manager with the Italian railway company Italferr which is conducting a feasibility study for the project. At a Belgrade conference on intermodal transport among Serbia, Montenegro and Italy, he said that the plan to completely overhaul the railway route has been scrapped, as it proved both costly and unnecessary. It is better to concentrate on eliminating crisis points and gradually speed up traffic, he said. Franciosi added that most of the crisis points are located in the mountainous area on the Serbia-Montenegro border, and that with improvements to the track, trains which now run at 60 kilometers per hour could go as fast as 100 kilometers per hour. This would cut travel time from eight and ten to only five hours. The feasibility study also envisages increasing the volume of transport, currently at seven million tons a year. The feasibility study is a year-long project that should be completed in Sept, ahead of the bilateral meeting of Italian and Serbian government representatives in Belgrade, Franciosi said.

KOSOVO AND METOHIJA

IVANOVIC: MAIN GOAL IS TO LAUNCH NEW NEGOTIATIONS ON KIM
BELGRADE, April 15 (Tanjug) - The main goal of the diplomatic fight of Belgrade for keeping Serbia's territorial integrity is to launch a new round of negotiations on the status of Kosovo-Metohija, State Secretary with the Ministry for Kosovo-Metohija Oliver Ivanovic said. "Before this we have to wait for the ICJ to give its legal opinion on the legality of the unilateral proclamation of Kosovo independence," Ivanovic said for the International Radio of Serbia. He expressed belief that ICJ will issue a ruling that will be in Serbia's favor, and at the same time stood up for the implementation of the Cyprus model in case of Kosovo. "The two issues are very similar. Both are cases of secession of an ethnic group," Ivanovic said, expressing opinion that because of this, the way in which the EU solved the Cyprus problem could be applied to Kosovo as well. "Cyprus was admitted into the EU, but with a condition that the EU regulations and legislation be not implemented in the northern part of the territory until the status (of the Turkish, northern part of the island) is resolved, that is, until the two ethnic communities, the Turks and Greeks, reach an agreement," Ivanovic explained.