Belgrade, 20. 01. 2010.

SERBIA – REGION

• JEREMIC: MESIC WITHOUT ANY POLITICAL AND MORAL CONSEQUENCE
• STEFANOVIC: MESIC'S STATEMENTS AGGRAVATE RELATIONS EVEN MORE
• JOSIPOVIC: CROATIA SHOULD SETTLE LAWSUIT ISSUE BY WAY OF AGREEMENT
• RENT DEADLINE FOR CRNOGORKA VILLA JANUARY 22

• JEREMIC & KOHOUT: CZECH REPUBLIC SUPPORT SERBIA'S EU CANDIDACY
• J. KOHOUT: SERBIA CAN EXPECT SUPPORT OF CZECH EU COMMISSIONER

• ZORAN BISIC APPOINTED SERBIAN AMBASSADOR TO UGANDA

• BELGRADE PROMOTES ECONOMIC COOPERATION WITH INDONESIA
• THREE BALKAN COUNTRIES TO PROMOTE JOINT TOURISM PROJECT

• DICK MARTY VISITS KOSOVO BECAUSE OF 'YELLOW HOUSE'
• UNMIK TO REDUCE STAFF, BUT WILL NOT CLOSE OFFICE

BELGRADE, Jan 20 (Tanjug) - Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic evaluated that the statement of the exiting Croatian President Stjepan Mesic on "sending the troops" if Prime Minister of RS schedules the referendum of RS secession from Bosnia-Herzegovina, represents yet another obvious provocation attempt. "This issue should be put to an end. It is yet another Mesic's apparent attempt of provocation," Jeremic told after the meeting with Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kohout. The Serbian minister added that "Mesic is a man without any political and moral consequence." Mesic said on Tuesday that if he was the president when the possible scheduling of the referendum in RS occurred, he would "militarily close the corridor in Bosnian Posavina." As the Croatian press reports, Mesic stated that Croatia is a Dayton Agreement guarantor, and stressed that in such a situation he would urgently send Croatian troops which would close the corridor near the town of Brcko and thus incapacitate RS that "would immediately have to disappear."

BELGRADE, Jan 20 (Tanjug) - Political Director of the Serbian Foreign Ministry Borislav Stefanovic has evaluated that the latest statement of the former President of Croatia Stjepan Mesic inflicts additional damage to the Serbian-Croatian relations and does not contribute to regional stability. "The statement of Mr. Mesic is not worth any comment, especially because he is the outgoing president who has been trying to cause additional damage to our relations lately, as well as because his political and moral credibility is very low, and for that he should not be given too much space," Stefanovic said for TV B92. "What Serbian side can say is that the work of Stjepan Mesic, and especially his statements, have not in any way contributed neither to the regional stability nor the improving of the relations between the two countries," Stefanovic pointed out, and added that it is extremely important to say that his work did not lead to the solving of accumulated problems and open issues which really exist and which burden the lives of both countries' citizens. In his Monday statement, the outgoing Croatian president said that if Republika Srpska (RS) called a secession referendum, he would send Croatian troops which would close the corridor near the town of Brcko and thus incapacitate RS that "would immediately have to disappear."

ZAGREB, Jan 20 (Tanjug) - The problem of Croatia's genocide lawsuit against Serbia should be settled by way of an agreement rather than be dragged out in the court for years, Croatia's President-elect Ivo Josipovic said. Speaking about Croatia's relations with its neighbors in an interview with Media Service, Josipovic commented on the statement made by incumbent President Stjepan Mesic about "sending the army" if RS Prime Minister Dodik holds a referendum on the secession of RS from Bosnia-Herzegovina, by saying that "sending the Croatian army into a neighboring country is not an option."Saying that Croatia having good relations with its neighbors is important to him, and that he is therefore willing to drop the genocide suit against Serbia, he added that he believes that even those parts of Croatia most affected by the war will understand this."The purpose is not the lawsuit itself, and if it possible to solve the problem in some other way, it is better for us to accept that than to sit in courts for years or even decades," he said.

BELGRADE, Jan 19 (Tanjug) - The deadline for a EUR 1.5 million payment, which is what the Montenegrin government owes Serbia as outstanding rent for the Crnogorka villa, located in Dedinje, an exclusive area in Belgrade, expires January 22, a source from the Serbian government told Tanjug on Tuesday, adding that the numerous attempts by the Serbian side to resolve the issue have all failed. "The government of Montenegro, which has been using the villa without any legal basis for that, has not paid Serbia anything. There have been attempts by the Serbian side since 2006 to resolve both the legal and the issue of compensation," the source stated. The Serbian Foreign Ministry is demanding that the rent for the villa, housing the Montenegrin embassy since that country declared independence in 2006, be paid. The overall debt, together with interest, is EUR 1.5 million, according to the government source. The ownership of the villa was defined during the former Yugoslavia, but the agreement that later formed the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro stipulated that any such realties would become the property of the country they were located in. If the Montenegrin government does not pay the required sum by January 22, Serbia will be forced to take legal action, although an agreement with the government in Podgorica is still expected to happen before that. The Crnogorka villa is a Montenegrin residential facility, which the Montenegrin president and prime minister used for Belgrade meetings with foreign officials while the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro was still in existence.

BELGRADE, Jan 20 (Tanjug) - The relations between Serbia and the Czech Republic are very good and the two countries have managed to isolate the only seriously open issue - the status of Kosovo - in such a way that it does not represent the obstacle for the further improvement of relations, Serbian and Czech Foreign Ministers, Vuk Jeremic and Jan Kohout respectively, said. "There are not many open issues between our two countries, and only one of them is serious, but we found the way to isolate the issue, i.e. the status of Kosovo and Metohija, in such a manner that it does not represent the obstacle for the further strengthening of the mutual relations," Jeremic told. Kohout assessed that the relations between Serbia and the Czech Republic are "friendly and excellent" and said that his country supports the European integration of Serbia and Western Balkans, adding that the Czech Republic will support Serbia's candidacy for EU membership at the meeting of EU Ministers of Foreign Affairs. The EU Foreign Ministers will soon have on their desk Serbia's application for EU membership. I convince you that Czech position will be absolutely positive, Kohout pointed out, stressing as very important that both sides - Brussels and Belgrade - keep the good tempo in the process of Serbia's approaching to the EU. Apart from the cooperation in the process of European integration of Serbia and the region, the two ministers discussed the political, security, economic and cultural cooperation, the promotion of trade and investments, cooperation on third markets, and they expressed hope that the bilateral relations will be strengthened in 2010. Kohout congratulated Serbia on the success achieved last year in the field of European integrations and underscored that the fact he chose Belgrade for his first foreign visit in 2010 testifies to the good bilateral relations.

BELGRADE, Jan 20 (Tanjug) - Czech Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Kohout has stated that Serbia can expect the support of Czech EU Commissioner designate for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Fule on its EU pathway. I believe that relations between the EU and Serbia are on a good path, Kohout said. As Serbia is aware, the EU has granted the implementation of the Interim Trade Agreement and as far as the request for membership is concerned, the consensus of the Council of Europe (CoE) is necessary in order to submit the application to the European Commission (EC) that needs to give its opinion on it, he added. Precisely when the CoE will request the EC's opinion is not that important for the overall pace of this process. I would, however, wish for that to happen during the Spanish EU Presidency, Kohout said in an interview published by the Belgrade-based Politika Wednesday. Newly appointed European Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Fule announced at the European Parliament further enlargement of the EU, adding that the countries will be given assistance in fulfilling the necessary criteria. As far as I know him, Fule usually succeeds in what he plans to do, Kohout underscored. Serbia has been an attractive place for Czech investors for a long time, Kohout said, adding that Czech Republic is glad that cooperation between the two countries is developing.

ZDRAVKO BISIC APPOINTED SERBIAN AMBASSADOR TO UGANDA

BELGRADE, Jan 20 (Tanjug) - The President Boris Tadic has issued a decree on the appointment of Zdravko Bisic to the position of Serbian extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador to Uganda, on a non-residential basis, with a seat in Nairobi, the Official Gazette specifies in its latest edition. "Zdravko Bisic is appointed to the position of Serbian extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador to Uganda, on a non-residential basis, with a seat in Nairobi," reads the decree.

BELGRADE, Jan 19 (Tanjug) - Belgrade officials, Indonesian diplomats and businessman of the Belgrade municipality of Palilula announced that they will soon organize the presentation of the greater number of Serbian companies whose potential may satisfy the needs of the two states. At the meeting between the businessmen of the Palilula municipality and Indonesian Ambassador to Belgrade Muhammad Abduh Dalimunthe and his associates, Deputy Secretary for Economy of the City of Belgrade stated that the city administration is ready to support all initiatives that can contribute to the economic progress and cooperation with other countries. The meeting dedicated to the possibilities of the economic cooperation was organized by the businessmen club of the municipality of Palilula whose aim is to promote the business climate and the Serbian-Indonesian society of friendship Nusantara which works on the preservation and improvement of the traditional friendship between the two states. Dalimunthe pointed out that in the past years, the economic cooperation between Serbia and Indonesia has developed significantly and amounted to USD 55 million in 2008. The ambassador expressed interest in and underscored the possibilities of the economic cooperation between Indonesian companies and the Kirka-Suri boiler factory and the agricultural and food processing corporation Belgrade (PKB) that has huge and many-decade long experience in the agricultural production and cattle breeding. With 230 million population and 1.9 million square kilometers, Indonesia is a huge market that develops quickly.

BELGRADE, Jan 19 (Tanjug) - State Secretary for Tourism Goran Petkovic told that a working meeting of representatives of Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria has been scheduled for February in order to promote joint tourism tours, and particularly the joint project the Route of Roman Emperors. The project is already being promoted in northern Europe, he said. Petkovic said he and Bulgarian Assistant Minister for Tourism Ivo Marinov agreed to prepare the meeting for the tourism fair in Belgrade in February. The project will focus on tourism tours through the three countries, he told the congress of the International Hotel and Restaurant Ass. At the end of 2009, Serbia opened the Sirmium visitors' center as part of the Route of Roman Emperors, as 17 Roman emperors were born in Serbia's territory.

BELGRADE, Jan 20 (Tanjug) - State Secretary at the Ministry for Kosovo-Metohija Oliver Ivanovic stated that the aim of the visit of Council of Europe (CoE) Special Rapporteur Dick Marty is the continuance of investigation about the suspicions of trade in organs of the imprisoned Serbs in 1999. For TVB92, Ivanovic said that Marty will meet with representatives of EULEX and other organizations. "He will carry on where he was violently interrupted six months ago, when he was prevented from visiting and investigating the yellow house and gaining insight into the documents that Albanian judicial bodies may have," Ivanovic pointed out. "CoE Rapporteur can only count on our full cooperation. I doubt that ethnic Albanians, particularly the ones living in Albania, will be prepared to allow him insight into what they have," he stressed.

PRISTINA, Jan 20 (Tanjug) - The United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) is planning to reduce the number of its staff, but not to close down the office in north Kosovo at the end of June 2010, reported Pristina-based daily Koha Ditore. The staff will be reduced in order to develop and adapt the mission to the situation on the ground, and it has nothing to do with the International Civilian Office (ICO) and the Kosovo government's planned strategy for north Kosovo, the goal of which is to close the UNMIK office across the Ibar River, said UNMIK spokesperson Russell Geekie. We believe that UNMIK's office in the north plays an important part in smoothing over the relations between different communities. It is accepted by the local people and it is important to us that that there is no vacuum, he said. Asked if UNMIK will continue its work in the north past June, Geekie answered in the affirmative. UNMIK will remain present in the north after the end of the fiscal year, Geekie said, confirming that the body will cut down its staff by 60 by that time.