Belgrade, May 20, 2010

SERBIA – REGION

SERBIA INVITED TO SARAJEVO CONFERENCE
BELGRADE, May 19 (Tanjug) - Serbia has received an official invitation to attend the regional conference EU - Western Balkans in Sarajevo, the Foreign Ministry told. The invitation was received by the Foreign Ministry. Spanish Foreign Minister Moratinos said that agreement was reached on applying the Gimnih formula of an informal ministerial meeting.

PRISTINA RECEIVES OFFICIAL INVITATION FOR SARAJEVO SUMMIT
PRISTINA, May 19 (Tanjug) - The Kosovo Ministry of Foreign Affairs received EU Spanish presidency invitation for participation at the EU-Balkans summit which will be held in Sarajevo next month, Kosovo Foreign Ministry said in a release. The release specifies that Kosovo Foreign Minister Skender Hiseni received the invitation to take part in summit. According to the text of the invitation, the summit will be held in keeping with the Gymnich formula (without names of states and only with names of participants displayed), and Kosovo institutions have agreed to these terms as this secures that Kosovo will have the same rights as other participants at the summit, the release concludes.

UNMIK: ZANNIER WILL ATTEND SARAJEVO CONFERENCE
PRISTINA, May 19 (Tanjug) - UNMIK chief Lamberto Zannier has received an official invitation to attend the regional conference EU - Western Balkans in Sarajevo, UNMIK spokesman Russell Geekie told. Zannier indents to attend the Sarajevo conference, Geekie said. Asked earlier whether Zannier will represent Kosovo at the conference, Geekie said that Zannier will speak on behalf of UNMIK and that representatives of Kosovo institutions will speak on behalf of those institutions. Asked who will have priority in speaking, Geekie said that UNMIK is status neutral and wants everyone to take part and that it will help gladly.

DJELIC: SERBIA SUPPORTS MONTENEGRO IN EU INTEGRATION
BELGRADE, May 19 (Tanjug) - Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic said that Serbia supports Montenegro in its endeavors for integration in the EU. Montenegrin Minister for EU Integration Gordana Djurovic said that her meeting with Djelic helped to foster the already good relations between the two governments as regards EU integration. Serbia supports Montenegro's full EU membership and expects a positive decision of the European Commission on Montenegro's candidacy, hopefully by the end of this year, Djelic said. Djurovic noted that the two governments have good relations as regards EU integration and that her meeting with Djelic helped to foster them even further. Djurovic and Djelic conferred on bilateral projects financed from the EU budget. There projects, worth EUR 2 mil will help improve the standard of living in both countries, they said. Djelic said he accepted an invitation by Djurovic to attend a seminar on EU integration, when a bilateral agreement on science and technology should be signed.

KOSOVO – METOHIJA

SOMALIA RECOGNIZES KOSOVO
PRISTINA, May 19 (Beta) - Somalia is the 69th country to have acknowledged Kosovo as an independent state, the Kosovo Foreign Ministry said. In a diplomatic note to Foreign Minister Skender Hiseni, the Somali Foreign Ministry "confirmed the government's decision to recognize Kosovo as an independent and sovereign state," said the statement. The decision, according to the statement, "was made based on an official request for acknowledging Kosovo, signed by Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu." The Somali government "is aware of the vital contribution that Kosovo gave to stability and peaceful coexistence in the Balkans," according to the statement.

GIFFONI SAYS KOSOVO'S STATUS DONE DEAL FOR EU
KOSOVSKA MITROVICA, May 19 (Beta) - European Commission representative for northern Kosovo Michele Giffoni said hat the status of Kosovo is a done deal as far as the EU is concerned and the focus should be on improving living conditions for locals. For Deutsche Welle, Giffoni said that "the situation in northern Kosovo, if viewed from the status quo angle, is stable," which is why attention should be given to "demilitarizing the status issue." He underscored that everyone should turn to real problems, for which pragmatic solutions have to be found. "That is the condition for launching a dialog for enhancing relations between Belgrade and Pristina," Giffoni said. Following the local election in Kosovska Mitrovica and Novo Brdo, scheduled for May 30, Giffoni remarked that local elections were already held in Kosovo and that this one "cannot be considered legal." However, he went on to say that preventing the election would be "a strong intervention that cannot not be justified." Giffoni also pointed out that the return and integration of Serbs with Kosovo society are among the crucial issues for the further development of the situation on the ground. "The matter of parallel structures in northern Kosovo is irrelevant to the EU. The important thing is what we, the EU, can do for the Kosovo community, Kosovo society. If we insist on that approach, the existence of parallel institutions will not be so important," Giffoni said. Minister for Kosovo and Metohija Bogdanovic said that Giffoni is attempting to sow discord among the Kosovo Serbs ahead of the local election in Kosovska Mitrovica. He told that Giffoni "obviously is not taking into account the fact that a group of countries from the EU, which he represents, opposes the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo and refuses to recognize that quasistate."

WARLICK: U.S. NOT TO BACK NEW KOSOVO STATUS TALKS
BELGRADE, May 20 (Beta) - In an interview for daily Danas, U.S. Ambassador to Serbia Mary Warlick emphasizes Washington's position that it will not endorse new Kosovo status talks. She adds that the U.S. opposes a division of Kosovo, but is not lobbying against Serbia's efforts for a debate on the matter in the U.N. "As regards the status of Kosovo, the U.S. and Serbia have already agreed that they disagree and we do not expect Serbia to recognize Kosovo's independence," Warlick says, adding: "We though think, hope and believe that it is important that two sides work together on improving the lives of the people who live there." The ambassador recalls that Assistant Secretary of State Philip Gordon visited Belgrade and then went to meet Kosovo officials. "He came to Serbia with a message of strong support to Belgrade's European aspirations," Warlick notes, explaining: "As for Belgrade-Pristina relations, Gordon said Washington supports a dialog between the two sides aimed at improving and resolving practical issues in the field, in Kosovo." Speaking about the possible opening of new debate on Kosovo in the U.N. General Assembly, Warlick says she hopes that the opinion of the ICJ will be such as to enable both sides to move on. "We are absolutely clear when we say that we will not support new Kosovo status talks or a division of Kosovo," Warlick stresses, adding: "On the other hand, we believe that good days are ahead for talks on practical issues and we will back such a dialog."

TACI'S LUGGAGE SEARCHED AT PRISTINA AIRPORT
PRISTINA, May 20 (Tanjug) - The luggage of prime minister of the provisional Kosovo government Hasim Taci and four other ministers was searched in detail at the Pristina airport on their departure for Turkey, the Pristina-based daily Zeri wrote. "Taci, together with Fatmir Ljimaj, Enver Hodzaj, Ljutfi Zarko and Blerand Stavileci, had experienced a detail search while passing through the airport's VIP zone on their departure for Turkey," the daily wrote, adding that EULEX customs officers carried out the luggage search. On their departure for a two-day official visit to Turkey, the government delegation had to walk several meters, because their car was not allowed to get close to the airplane, which is a customary practice. The door to the VIP zone, through which Kosovo's top-ranking officials usually drive, was blocked by a car of EULEX customs service, while several customs officers of the mission were standing nearby. EULEX officials did not release many details on this unusual customs control, but they clarified that it was a legal procedure. Customs officers of Kosovo and EULEX, in cooperation with the airport security, carried out a luggage control using scanners and X-rays in the VIP zone, which is a legal procedure, EULEX spokesperson Bljerim Krasnici said. He did not specify whether the luggage control was carried out with a particular goal.

EU SATISFIED WITH EULEX INVESTIGATION ON CORRUPTION IN KIM
PRISTINA, May 20 (Tanjug) - The members of the EU Council committee for Western Balkan have welcomed EULEX's extensive investigations into the cases of high-level corruption and organized crime, as well as the investigation into war crimes, and qualified the activities as a necessary step to help Kosovo strengthen the rule of law, Koha Ditore reports. During the committee's debate in Brussels, which the EU special representative Peter Feith attended as well, it was underscored that the (interim) Kosovo authorities have to cooperate with the EULEX mission in Kosovo and support them in their activities, daily reports. According to the sources, the representatives of a number of countries have welcomed the fact that EULEX has finally embarked upon concrete acivities, and that they have launched, within their competence, an extensive fight against organised crime and corruption. The sources have once again discarded accusations implying that the investigation EULEX has launched against the Transportation Ministry and other represent political interference.

STAVRIDIS: NUMBER OF KFOR SOLDIERS TO BE REDUCED TO 5, 000
WASHINGTON, May 20 (Tanjug) - The NATO could speed up its plans to reduce the military presence in Kosovo and the number of KFOR soldiers from 15, 000 to 5, 000 in 2010, announced Joint Force Commander Admiral James Stavridis. The situation in the Balkans is not perfect but it is improving, Stavridis told a press conference. I will reduce the number of soldiers in Kosovo from 15, 000 to 10, 000, or maybe even to 5,000 later in 2010, he said.

SERBIA – EU

DJELIC: EU ACQUIS TRANSLATION CHANCE TO PROVE GOOD COOPERATION
BELGRADE, May 19 (Tanjug) - Participants of a conference on the experiences and challenges in the translation of European legislation into Serbian and other languages of the states in the region agreed Wednesday that it is a very extensive and important project which can prove that the cooperation between the regional countries is good, despite the political differences. Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic said that this is the biggest translation project in Serbia's history within which it is necessary to accurately and efficiently translate into Serbian language around 160,000 pages of EU 'acquis communautaire' (the total body of EU law accumulated thus far). "This is a task that starts today but will never end, because acquis communautaire is a living matter," Djelic said at the conference dubbed 'Speak European,' pointing out that the EU member states, such as France, Germany or Poland, are in constant need to follow the development of this segment of the EU. According to him, thanks to the precious help of the EU, and Norway, a country which is not a member of the EU, about 25,000 pages of the European legal acquis will hopefully be translated into the Serbian language by year's end. The deputy prime minister welcomed the move by Croatia, whose Prime Minister Kosor presented Serbian PM Cvetkovic with a disk containing the Croatian translation acquis. Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Degert has said that the EU acquis represents common rules that are necessary for the functioning of the EU, and that it is vital to understand these rules. In order to negotiate, one needs to know exactly what one is talking about, and this is why it is important to have an accurate translation, he underlined.

DELEGATION OF EC: SERBIA'S APPLICATION COULD BE DISCUSSED IN JUNE
BELGRADE, May 19 (Tanjug) - The first opportunity for the EU Council to discuss Serbia's application for EU membership is in June this year, Head of Economic and European integration Sector of the Delegation of the European Commission (EC) to Serbia Alberto Cammarata has said. "We do not know if consensus will be found between the member states already in June, but what is sure is that the EC is already prepared to start preparing its opinion on Serbia's application," Cammarata said on the occasion of the Info Day of Erste Bank EU Office for small and medium-sized companies. He underlined that the EU welcomes the fact that the Serbian authorities have already started working in view of the opinion. The answers to the 2,400 questions to be specified in the questionnaire the EC will present to Serbia are not of purely bureaucratic nature, Cammarata underlined, adding that the Serbian government is expected to consult the business community in order to define the opportunities and the challenges relating to the EU accession process.Technically speaking, the EC will in the best case finalise its opinion sometime next year, after which the Council will decide on granting Serbia the status of candidate for full-fledged EU membership, he said.

FULE SAYS BRAMMERTZ'S REPORT KEY FOR SERBIA & CROATIA
STRASBOURG, May 19 (Beta) - EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule told European Parliament MPs that the report by the Hague tribunal chief prosecutor to the U.N. SC will be crucial for whether the EU Council of Ministers will in June approve new steps in implementing the SAA with Serbia. In a debate at the current EP session in Strasbourg, Fule said the same applies to opening the key chapter in membership negotiations with Croatia. The commissioner also said that quite a challenge is still in store for earlier announced plans to conclude the technical part of EU membership talks with Croatia. "We are ready to prepare 'an opinion' on granting Serbia candidate status as soon as the Council of Ministers gives us mandates for that," he added. Addressing members of the Foreign Policy Committee, Fule said he hopes "the decision to ratify the SAA between the EU and Serbia at the Council of Ministers' session in June." "The way I see it," he explained, "the June report by Brammertz will be of critical importantance for that, hence (Belgrade's) further cooperation with the ICTY is vital." Fule also pointed out that in the coming months the EC will focus on the 2010 Enlargement Package, which will be adopted in November and will contain a Country Strategy Paper and reports on progress made by the countries of the region in EU accession.

EUROPEAN OFFICIALS AFFIRM WESTERN BALKANS' EU PROSPECTS
BRUSSELS, May 19 (Beta) - European officials and representatives of civil society organizations from Western Balkan countries affirmed the region's European outlook in Brussels and called for the implementation of laws necessary for the region's further progress towards the EU. European Commission Director General of the Directorate General for Enlargement Michael Leigh said the directorate will review the recommendations presented by the forum participants. European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) Vice President Irini Pari highlighted that the conclusions made at the meeting "will serve as a roadmap for future cooperation between the EESC and partners from Western Balkan civil society." Participants in the forum also urged governments in the region to fully respect workers' rights and called on the European Fundamental Rights Agency, the EU's advisory body, to admit all EU membership applicants and potential applicants. The forum was attended by 150 representatives of civil society and officials of Western Balkan countries, the EESC, European institutions, and NGOs. The forum is part of an effort to enhance the stabilization and association of the region with the EU. The next such event will take place in 2012.

SERBIA

DJELIC: SYNERGY BETWEEN NATIONAL ISSUE AND EU INTEGRATION
BELGRADE, May19 (Tanjug) - Deputy Prime Minister Djelic said the struggle for the Serbian national issue and the country's EU integration are not at odds with each other, but instead in deep synergy. "Serbia is going towards a full EU membership and has implemented laws that refer to members of minority ethnicities in the country, which gives it the strongest arguments to demand the same rights for the Serbs living in the surrounding countries," said Djelic. Speaking at a round table discussion about the strategy for preserving and strengthening the relations between Serbia and its diaspora, which was organized by the Ministry for Diaspora, Djelic said that the money coming in from the diaspora should be invested in companies and to open new jobs. Djelic also spoke about the diaspora's role in developing the country's science and technology, noting that it is not true that 500,000 college educated people have left the country in the past 20 years, but that the real numbers are around 54,000 in the 90s and between 17,000 and 19,000 in the last decade. "Even those are large figures," said Djelic, adding that it should be a warning to put more effort into keeping highly educated people in Serbia to help the country.

DACIC: IDENTITY OF PERSONS KILLED IN BOLIVIA NOT YET CONFIRMED
BELGRADE, May 20 (Tanjug) - Interior Minister Ivica Dacic stated that the identity of the three persons killed in Bolivia has not been confirmed as the finger prints that the Bolivian Interpol Office had forwarded to Serbian Interior Ministry (MUP) are not clear, so they asked for new ones to be provided. "We have information from the documents, but we cannot yet confirm the identity of the persons killed," Dacic pointed out. He had previously said that the Bolivian Interpol office had forwarded to Serbia the photocopies of the passports, identity cards and finger prints of the three persons killed in a clash between drug cartels in that country. Dacic said that the MUP has no record of these passports being stolen. The data were analysed at the National Criminalistic-Technical Centre of the Serbian MUP.The Bolivian media had earlier reported that three Serbian and three Bolivian citizens were killed in the clash between drug cartels, whereas four persons were wounded.Dacic urged that the names of the persons killed should not be published until facts are determined.