Belgrade, 22. 02. 2010.

BELGRADE, Feb 19 (Tanjug) - Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic, during his Friday talks with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, expressed the readiness of official Belgrade to continue to jointly work with Brussels on the EU accession of the West Balkans.

According to a statement issued by the Serbian Foreign Ministry, Jeremic and Ashton also discussed the issue of Serbia's Euro-integration and the current situation in Kosovo and Metohija. During the talks, the two ranking officials expressed their satisfaction over the progress Serbia has made so far in the field of European integration and called for an even more intensive cooperation between Belgrade and Brussels.

With her meeting with the Serbian foreign minister, Ashton concluded her first visit to Belgrade, during which she met with the country's president and prime minister, Boris Tadic and Mirko Cvetkovic respectively, and addressed the representatives of the civil sector in Serbia.

ANKARA, Feb 20 (Tanjug) - Turkey and Serbia are ready to work together on the establishing of stability and peace in the Balkans and to put effort to promote the bilateral economic cooperation, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglou has stated in Ankara after the talks with Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic.

Jeremic, who is on a one-day visit to Turkey, was received by Turkish President Abdullah Gul on Saturday. The free trade agreement between Serbia and Turkey, which will considerably contribute to the promotion of economic cooperation, is to be ratified in the Turkish parliament next week, Davutoglou said at a joint press conference. Davutoglou also underscored that the two countries will work together on several infrastructure projects in Serbia, the Turkey's Anatolia news agency reported.

Jeremic pointed out that the meeting with his Turkish counterpart was fruitful and underscored that Serbia and Turkey share a common vision regarding stability and peace in the Balkans. The two countries are working together on resolution of the problems in the region and are determined to contribute to economic prosperity of the Balkans, Jeremic said.

BELGRADE Feb 19 (Tanjug) - Serbian parliament Speaker Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic told Tanjug Friday in the expectation of a meeting with US Congressman Earl Pomeroy that visit to the Serbian parliament is very important. She expressed hope that cooperation between the two institutions will be a bridge for the fostering of bilateral relations in all other sectors too.

Djukic-Dejanovic said she and Pomeroy will discuss cooperation between the two parliaments. Pomeroy's visit is all the more important because this is the first time a US congressman is paying a visit to the Serbian parliament speaker in recent history, Djukic-Dejanovic noted. The talks will focus on making the Serbian parliament and the US Congress a bridge for the fostering of bilateral relations in all other sectors too, she said. Bilateral relations are obviously starting to thaw and Serbian MP's can help in that, she said.

The meeting between Djukic-Dejanovic and Pomeroy will also be attended by the new US Ambassador to Belgrade Mary Warlick. Pomeroy conferred earlier in the day with Serbian Deputy Prime Minister for EU Integration Bozidar Djelic.

BELGRADE, Feb 20 (Tanjug) - Serbia needs a public-private partnership in the construction of local infrastructure that would attract not only foreign investments but also increase quality of public utility, raise employment rate and standard of citizens, but it is necessary to adopt appropriate legal regulations, it was stated Saturday at a meeting organized by the World Bank (WB).

Serbian Deputy Prime Minister for EU Integration Bozidar Djelic announced that amendments to the Concession Law and the Law on Public Property should be adopted and thus enable the public-private partnership at the local level and allow the immovables which are part of the partnership to be transformed into public property.

Djelic stated that the Saturday morning meeting in the Serbian government that was attended by representatives of ministries, local self-government and the WB was agreed that it should be started with smaller projects for processing of wastewater and recycling that could simultaneously be connected to electric generation plants.

Senior WB Advisor for Latin America and the Caribbean Region Jose Luis Guasch said that the international financial institution has about 20 year of experience with the public-private partnership projects and has proved to be ineffective and expensive at first, but later on they had much better results.

BELGRADE, Feb 22 (Tanjug) - Serbian parliament President Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic has sent out telegrams of condolences to her counterparts in Morocco and Portugal on the occasion of the losses of lives caused by natural disasters in the two countries last weekend, it was stated by the parliament.

On behalf of the parliament members, Djukic-Dejanovic addressed her telegram to the Morocco parliament president on the occasion of a collapse of a mosque minaret, the tragic incident killing at least 41 and injuring more than 70 people. Djukic-Dejanovic also addressed a telegram of condolences to her Portuguese counterpart on the occasion of the tragic loss of lives of at least 42 people during the floods and landslides in the Portuguese Madeira Island last weekend.

BELGRADE, Feb 21 (Tanjug) - Serbian Deputy Prime Minister for EU Integration Bozidar Djelic has stated that Serbia will never agree that Kosovo becomes a precondition for the EU accession and underscored that the EU integration and the resolution of the status of Kosovo are two separate processes.

"This is Serbia's policy but also the policy of the EU that does not have a single stand in view of Kosovo," Djelic said in an interview for the Belgrade-based daily Vecernje novosti, adding that Serbia has excellent relations with Brussels.

He pointed out that the EU tendency to integrate the whole West Balkans is "a very strong impetus for all to reach a historical compromise between Belgrade and Pristina. That should be a compromise, not a dictate. Therefore, the policy: both Europe and Kosovo is so efficient for Serbia". Djelic said that orders have been already issued to the ministries to prepare by the end of April responses to several thousand questions from the questionnaire that Serbia received from the neighboring countries, adding that new EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule has promised that Serbia will be sent the official questionnaire the day the country receives green light from the EU countries.

"If we receive the questionnaire in June, we will fill it in before the summer holiday, and then we will have an opportunity to become an EU candidate state by the end of 2010 or latest by mid 2011," he said. He stated that the next report of International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz on Serbia's cooperation with ICTY will be positive and added that we should be aware that ICTY will be a precondition that will burden our EU integration until it is completely fulfilled.

When asked whether the NATO membership will be one of the requirements for the EU admission, Djelic answered negatively.

ATHENS, Feb 20 (Tanjug) - Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas has stated that 2014 could be the year of the West Balkans' EU integration, adding that previously the countries have to fulfill all preconditions for the EU admission.

We would like to revive the 2003 Thessaloniki Agenda and today we think that 2014, as a symbolic hundred-year anniversary of the beginning of World War I, could be the year of EU accession. We should show to the West Balkan countries that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and that they should hurry up and seriously take the reforms they have to carry out, Droutsas said and the Greek media reported. He added that the Thessaloniki Agenda has not been realized because of the EU enlargement exhaustion.

Discussing the Kosovo issue, Droutsas said that this is an EU issue and that it should be addressed within the EU. When the issue was discussed, we have clearly heard the stands of the USA and Russia but not the EU. Given the West Balkan countries' EU perspective, the Kosovo issue should be addressed in the EU, the Greek minister said.

WASHINGTON, Feb 22 (Tanjug) - US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Philip Gordon has stated that the EU integration of the Southeastern Europe is one of the priorities of US President Barack Obama and underscored that the USA backs Serbia's EU candidacy.

The Balkans certainly does not dominate the front pages such as Afghanistan or Iran, but I would like to point out that the stabilization and integration of the area between the Adriatic Sea and the Black Sea is an important issue in the foreign affairs program of the current administration, Gordon stated last week at a lecture at the University of Harvard. According to him, NATO and EU are backbone of the European freedom and prosperity and the USA would like to work together with the European partners on the admission of the Southeastern Europe to those institutions.

The Southeastern Europe is still faced with some of the problems that burdened the region during the previous century, although great progress has been made compared to the end of the nineties, said the US official who visited the Balkans earlier as a member of Clinton's administration. One of the examples of the progress is a dramatic change in the Serbia-USA relations. Only ten years ago, the USA bombed Serbia. Last year, US Vice President Joe Biden visited Belgrade and delivered a message that the USA is ready to turn the page and wants to be partner with Serbia, Gordon recalled.

BELGRADE, Feb 19 (Tanjug) - Croatia did not dispute the authority of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague to act on the countersuit filed against the country by Serbia, but it expressed readiness to respond to the charges, Serbia's legal representative before the court Sasa Obradovic told Tanjug on Friday.

He said that a meeting of Serbia and Croatia's legal teams with the ICJ president was held on February 3, when the timeline for further proceedings before The Hague court was set. "Croatia asked for 14 months to respond to Serbia's countersuit. We thought that nine months is sufficient for both sides to file the next round of pleadings. The court decided on about ten months - Croatia was given until December 20, 2010 and Serbia will then have until November 4, 2011 to submit its pleading," Obradovic explained.

According to him, Serbia's pleading will contain additional responses to the allegations in the Croatian suit, and new evidence to support its own countersuit. Asked if there was a chance that the two countries will drop the suits, Obradovic said that he cannot comment on the political aspect of the matter, but added that a political agreement or a peaceful out-of-court settlement could happen at any time.

ZAGREB, Feb 21 (Tanjug) - Newly elected Croatian President Ivo Josipovic stated that in the Serbia-Croatia relations the moot points are border and problems related to the war conflict and the period after the war, adding that problems of the Croatian refugees in Serbia should also be addressed.

Josipovic said in an interview for the Zagreb-based daily Jutarnji List that the problem related to the border with Serbia, compared to the one with Slovenia, is smaller and will be solved easily one way or another. He stated that there is an obvious problem with the Croatian citizens who had Serbian nationality and who moved to Serbia during war conflicts, adding that their status has to be resolved. As for Kosovo, Josipovic said that the issue of relation between Serbia and Kosovo is completely out of the Croatian policy, adding that Croatia cannot and do not want to influence the Serbia-Kosovo relations.

Josipovic underscored that Serbian President Boris Tadic did not refuse to attend his inauguration for some personal animosity and added that Croatia has expressed its stand on Kosovo by its recognition and that does not intend to alter it. Josipovic said that when the problem of the Serbia-Croatia relations is analyzed, it should be taken into consideration that Croatia was more exposed to aggression and that it suffers some of its consequences even nowadays.

TABANOVCI, Feb 19 (Tanjug) - Representatives of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce (PKS) and the Macedonian Chamber of Commerce, Milos Bugarin and Branko Azeski respectively, agreed on Friday, at the opening of the Serbian-Macedonian Council in Tabanovci, northern Macedonia, that it is necessary to remove all administrative obstacles in order to bring the economic cooperation between the two countries to a higher level.

At the first meeting of the Council, which was held at the Presevo-Tabanovci border crossing, Bugarin assessed that the gathering represented a "good opportunity for encouraging a more active presence of Serbia's businessmen on the Macedonian market, and a better presence of the companies from Macedonia on the Serbian market." "In order to make the bonding easier and to be able to jointly present our products on the third market, it is necessary to remove the administrative and all other barriers," the PKS president assessed.

Last year's trade between Serbia and Macedonia totaled approximately USD 860 million, and the two parties assessed that there was room for further improvement. PKM President Azeski underlined that it is necessary to establish ties between the customs administrations of the two countries, which would enable a synchronised functioning and a joint control of the inspection departments at border crossings.

SKOPJE, Feb 19 (Tanjug) - President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce (PKS) Milos Bugarin called in Skopje on Wednesday Macedonian businessmen to invest in Serbia and said there is a great potential for cooperation in the areas of railway, travel, energy and communication sectors.

"There is a great impetus towards economic cooperation between Serbia and Macedonia, since this would help the countries' economies to overcome the global recession more easily," Bugarin said at the 2nd Serbian-Macedonian business forum at the Macedonian Chamber of Commerce. He stressed the importance of building the Kumanovo-Vranje gas pipeline and Skopje-Nis power line, and of cooperation in the field of agriculture. Macedonian investments in Serbia amount to a total of EUR 600,000, while Serbia invests around EUR 30 million in Macedonia, which is less than the countries could actually do, Bugarin pointed out.

President of the Macedonian Chamber of Commerce Branko Azeski said that in the total foreign trade exchange of Macedonia, Serbia is the second partner, right behind Germany.

Serbian Ambassador to Macedonia Tomislav Djurin said that economic relations will be his priority and that he expects a visit by Serbian Economic Adviser with the Ministry of Economy and Regional Development soon.

The Serbian economic delegation, which includes representatives of the Ministry of Trade and Services, Ministry of Economy and Regional Development, Ministry of Agriculture, and Ministry of Finance, as well as around 70 companies, is led by the PKS president.

PRISTINA, Feb 19 (Tanjug) - European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton said on Friday that an EU team will visit Pristina in the coming weeks, in order to prepare the assessment necessary for Kosovo's visa liberalization.

After a meeting with Kosovo Prime Minister Hasim Taci in Pristina, Ashton told a press conference that "the EU as a whole is clear that the future of Kosovo is European," and reiterated that the Western Balkans region is a major foreign policy priority for the EU. She stressed the importance of cooperation between Kosovo institutions and the EU on Kosovo's economic development, and insisted that the rule of law must be established, saying that Kosovo authorities are already working with EULEX to make this happen. EU high representative met with EU Special Representative Pieter Feith, Head of the EULEX Mission Yves de Kermabon and Head of the European Commission Liaison Office Renzo Daviddi at the EULEX office in Pristina on Friday morning.

PRISTINA, Feb 20 (Tanjug) - International Civilian Representative and EU Special Representative in Kosovo Pieter Feith condemned Saturday the desecration of the grave of Zivka Jovanovic at the cemetery in Gnjilane, urging that perpetrators should be found and punished as soon as possible.

This is a terrible act of destruction. Whatever the motive - crime or national or religious intolerance, the incident deserves utmost condemnation, Feith said Saturday in a written statement. Such deeds are harmful for democracy and all citizens in Kosovo, he added. The family of Zivka Jovanovic found her grave dug out. The grave was dug out, the coffin damaged and some things were taken out. I urge the competent authorities to double the efforts in protection and reconstruction of Serbian Orthodox cemeteries across Kosovo.

The Kosovo police are expected to carry out a detailed investigation with full support of all Kosovo institutions so as to ensure the perpetrators face justice, Feith underscored. Jovanovic was, according to her wish, buried at the cemetery in Gnjilane in Thursday. That was the first burial at the cemetery since 1999 and after the desecration, the family of the deceased transported her body to the cemetery in the village of Koretiste.

BELGRADE, Feb 20 (Tanjug) - Serbian Ministry for Kosovo-Metohija urged Saturday international factors to take concrete steps, besides the verbal criticism, so that the incidents, such as the two latest dreadful deeds, would not repeat and their perpetrators be found and punished.

The European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) and other international factors were alerted in the ministry's statement that within 48 hours returnee to the village of Zac Ljubisa Stepanovic was attacked and the grave of a Serb woman in Gnjilane was dug out. The incidents show true colors of the so-called Kosovo authorities and their concept of multiethnic society in which there is no place for returnees, dead or alive Serbs, the ministry said.

The statement reads that instead of making plans for the integration of the North of Kosovo, International Civilian Representative and EU Special Representative Pieter Feith should influence the temporary provincial institutions to secure basic human right to Serbs and their right to live peacefully and safely.

PRISTINA, Feb 20 (Tanjug) - The protection of the heritage of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) in Kosovo is very important for the European Union (EU), chief of the Greece Liaison Office in Pristina Dimitris Moskopulos stated on Saturday. Moskopulos, who took on the responsibility of the EU special advisor for the issues of the Serbian heritage, attended the liturgy in the reconstructed St. Nicholas Church in Pristina, the KIM Radio reported.

The protection of the Serb religious heritage will be paid special attention. That is very important not only for our country but for the whole EU, the Greek diplomat told journalists. In the reconstructed St. Nicholas Church which was burned down in the March conflicts six years ago, the liturgy was served by administrator of the Ras-Prizren Diocese Bishop Atanasije in the presence of about 200 believers. Besides representatives of the Greek liaison office, the liturgy was also attended by their colleagues from the US and Great Britain mission to Pristina. Over 30 churches, monasteries and other SPC buildings were razed in the March conflict in 2004.

COLOGNE, Feb 21 (Tanjug) - Representatives of the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) have stated that organized crime and corruption are huge problem in the province. EULEX Spokesperson Nicholas Hawton said that crime is a serious problem in Kosovo and that EULEX was established in order to offer help and supervise fight against crime that is carried out by the temporary self-government institutions in the province, the Cologne-based radio Deutsche Welle reported, citing the Pristina-based Albanian daily Koha Ditore.

US Chief of Mission in Kosovo Christopher Dell said last week that corruption is one of the main challenges that Kosovo is faced with and remarked that in the last 10 years, no high representative was charged with or found guilty of corruption.

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA, Feb 21 (Tanjug) - EULEX Justice Spokesperson Kristina Herodes stated Sunday that over 50 locations in Kosovo have been identified in relation to shedding light on the fates of missing persons, adding that intensive investigation in view of the issue will be resumed this year.

Herodes said that since December 2008, EULEX, together with the Office on Missing Persons and Forensics, has carried out 135 field actions that resulted in locating 101 bodies. The total of 83 bodies were returned to the families, she said for the Kosovska Mitrovica-based radio Kontakt Plus, adding that EULEX has analyzed 700 files which previously belonged to UNMIK and prepared over 600 bones for DNA analysis.

Coordinator of the Association of Families of Kidnapped and Missing Persons in Kosovo-Metohija Milorad Trifunovic told Tanjug that the international factors are not trying hard enough to reveal the truth on missing and kidnapped people. He believes that the international factors should make Kosovo politicians and officials tell the truth, adding that the current officials of the Kosovo government were commanders in the areas where people were kidnapped and that they should be held accountable according to their command responsibility. The Association of Families of Kidnapped and Missing Persons in Kosovo-Metohija is searching for 536 persons who went missing during, after and before the conflicts in the province.