SERBIA - SPAIN

JEREMIC AND MORATINOS DISCUSS KOSOVO AND BIH
MADRID, Feb 24 (Tanjug) - Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic has discussed bilateral relations, Kosovo and Metohija and the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina (NIH) with his Spanish counterpart Miguel Angel Moratinos in Madrid.
In regards to Kosovo and in view of the fact that the International Court of Justice is discussing the issue of legality of the unilateral declaration of independence, the two ministers agreed that it is necessary to insist on respect of international law, it was said in a statement released by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Moratinos said that Spain, which is holding the EU Presidency until June, would like to see the cooperation with the Kosovo authorities in the areas that are important for the everyday life of citizens, such as police and customs, realized.
He said that stability has to be reestablished in the north of Kosovo and that this requires all sides to cooperate, in order to build a multiethnic society based on tolerance and respect. Moratinos took the opportunity to request Serbia's assistance in the process of stabilization of BIH, so as to be able to continue to move along the path of European integrations, it was said in the statement.

CIVIL WAR MEMORIAL PLAQUE UNVEILED IN MADRID
MADRID, Feb 24 (Tanjug) - Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic unveiled the memorial plaque at the Madrid cemetery Fuencarral on Tuesday honoring the Serbian and Yugoslav soldiers who were killed in the Spanish Civil War, and pointed out that the plaque should reflect "the need and care for preservation of the historical truth about this period of the Spanish and our joint history".
"The memorial plaque honoring the Serbian and Yugoslav interbrigadists is an expression of our deepest respect for their ideals and dreams about freedom and more righteous world," Jeremic said. He said that the idea of the defence of the Spanish Republic - a symbol of freedom, progress and democracy in opposition to the monsters of fascism which were spreading from the heart of Europe - was inspiration for millions of people around the world, the Serbian Foreign Ministry stated. Jeremic recalled that among the members of the international brigades there were 1,750 of our citizens and half of them were killed.

SERBIA

ZBOGAR ON POSSIBLE MEETING BETWEEN TADIC AND SEJDIU
LJUBLJANA, Feb 24 (Tanjug) - Slovenian Foreign Minister Samuel Zbogar has announced the possibility of a meeting between Serbian President Boris Tadic and Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu at the conference of EU officials and leaders of Western Balkans scheduled for March, the Pristina daily Express published Wednesday in its electronic edition.
The Slovenian Press Agency (STA) reported earlier that a conference on Western Balkans will be held at the Brdo Castle near Kranj on March 20, adding that all leaders of the countries from the region are expected to attend, for the first time after 18 years. Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor earlier evaluated that this conference will be crucial in several aspects and that its goal is to find the solutions for open issues in the Western Balkan region.
The Slovenian prime minister stated that the president of Kosovo will also be invited to the conference, and, according to him, he will be represented in an appropriate way, whereas speaking of the stability of the region he pointed out the constructive role of Serbian President Boris Tadic. The conference was initiated by Prime Ministers of Slovenia and Croatia, Borut Pahor and Jadranka Kosor respectively, and the Council of Europe and the European Commission are among the organizers of the meeting as well.

TADIC AND SEJDIU ONLY IF KOSOVO COMES AS UNMIK-KOSOVO
BELGRADE, Feb 24 (Tanjug) - Serbia has nothing against Kosovo's participation in regional conferences if this is in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and if Kosovo is adequately presented as UNMIK-Kosovo, Tanjug learned Wednesday from the Cabinet of Serbian President Boris Tadic on the occasion of the statement of the Slovenian foreign minister on a possible meeting between Tadic and Kosovo President at the summit of leaders of Western Balkans in March.
"We have nothing against Kosovo's participation in regional meetings and summits if this is in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and if Kosovo is adequately presented as UNMIK-Kosovo," the statement reads.

DJELIC, IDRAK ANNOUNCE FRANCE'S HELP
BELGRADE, Feb 24 (Tanjug) - France will offer support to Serbia with its experience and investments in land and air traffic, construction of Corridor 10 and Belgrade subway and strategy of Danube exploitation, Serbian Deputy Prime Minister for EU Integration Bozidar Djelic and France's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Anne-Marie Idrac stated on Tuesday.
The French government helped Serbia to move from category 7 to category 6 of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). We have discussed the issues of joint interest - purchase of Airbus and regional air transportation. The Serbian government has formed a working group that deals with the issue and we expect that after the visit the resolution of the problem will be reached very soon, Djelic stated after the meeting with Idrac.
Djelic said that he conferred with the French official on the construction of Corridor 10 - highway and railway - in the following years, given that France has companies with a lot of experience in the area.

LAJCAK: SERBIA'S CANDIDACY TOPIC OF EU MEETING IN MARCH
BRUSSELS, Feb 23 (Tanjug) - Slovakia's Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak said Tuesday that European Union foreign ministers might consider Serbia's candidacy for EU membership at their meeting in March in Cordoba. The agenda of the Monday meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council did not include Serbia or Western Balkans, Lajcak noted.
Lajcak, however, expects the issue of Serbia's candidacy to be a topic of the informal meeting of foreign ministers in March. Serbian President Boris Tadic presented last December in Stockholm to the Swedish EU Presidency Serbia's official application for candidacy for EU membership.
Spain, which took over the EU Presidency from Sweden in January, has repeatedly stated it would do everything for Serbia to get candidate status as soon as possible. According to procedure, the EU Council must ask the European Commision's view on candidacy, after which Serbia must answer a series of questions before pre-accession negotiations can start.

SERBIA – NEIGHBORS

SERBIA'S AMBASSADOR RETURNS TO MONTENEGRO
PODGORICA, Feb 24 (Tanjug) - Serbia's Ambassador in Podgorica Zoran Lutovac has returned to Montenegro, after he was withdrawn from the position in mid-January because of the decision by Montenegro's government to establish diplomatic relations with Kosovo, Tanjug learned at the Serbian Embassy in Podgorica on Tuesday evening.
Following the decision of the Montenegrin government to establish diplomatic relations with Kosovo, Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic invited Ambassador Lutovac to return to Belgrade for consultations. On the occasion, the Serbian foreign minister also filed a note of protest with Montenegro's Ambassador to Belgrade Igor Jovovic, but he was not denied hospitality. 
When Montenegro recognized the illegal and unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo and Metohija in October 2008, Anka Vojvodic, who was Montenegro's ambassador at the time, was denied hospitality and she returned to Podgorica.

KRIVOKAPIC: LET SNEZANA MALOVIC COME TO MONTENEGRO
PODGORICA, Feb 23 (Tanjug) - Montenegrin Parliament Speaker Ranko Krivokapic on Tuesday evaluated as unacceptable the fact that Serbian Justice Minister Snezana Malovic links Montenegro's political elite with organized crime and that is why Montenegrin Justice Minister Miras Radovic should not go to a meeting in Belgrade.
On the initiative of Minister Radovic, his Serbian counterpart suggested a meeting of representatives of the justice ministries of the two countries to be held in Belgrade on February 25, in order to remove all misunderstandings that had been created in the case of Darko Saric. "I believe that elementary state dignity of the ministry obliges him to wait and let Mrs. Malovic come here if she wants speak about what she is now saying on the other side of the border. She should have the decency to say it to us in person," Krivokapic said in a statement with Radio Crna Gora.
He believes that the Saric case should be set as an "either-or" topic. "Either Serbia is attacking us and there is no crime in Montenegro, or there is crime in Montenegro and Serbia is right," Krivokapic said, adding that there is crime in Montenegro and that Serbia's conduct is a historic confirmation of everything that had already been seen. "I don't expect any other conduct coming from that address," said Krivokapic, who claims that "Serbia's aspirations towards Montenegro are still the same."

SERBIAN AND MONTENEGRIN JUSTICE MINISTERS TO CONFER THURSDAY
BELGRADE, Feb 23 (Tanjug) - A meeting between the Justice Ministers of Serbia and Montenegro, Snezana Malovic and Miras Radovic, will be held in Belgrade on Monday, Serbian Ministry of Justice said Tuesday.
The main focus of the meeting will be on the overall improvement in cooperation, before all in the field of international legal assistance in criminal matters, but also on the open issues and concrete problems spotted in the previous period, which inhibit the cooperation of the judicial bodies of the two countries.
The meeting will be attended by Serbian Organized Crime Prosecutor Miljko Radisavljevic, Serbian Public Prosecutor Zagorka Dolovac, as well as their Montenegrin counterparts. Montenegrin justice minister will arrive to Belgrade, where he and his Serbian colleague will discuss the misunderstandings around the investigation in Saric case, his office announced earlier Tuesday.

JOSIPOVIC EXPECTS TO MEET WITH TADIC IN FORESEEABLE FUTURE
ZAGREB, Feb 23 (Tanjug) - President of Croatia Ivo Josipovic said Tuesday that he expects that he will meet with Serbian President Boris Tadic "in the foreseeable future, when the right conditions are created."
After a talk with the Serbia-Croatia Friendship Group, Josipovic said that there were no concrete agreements on the meeting with president Tadic, but that the need for an encounter was expressed. He stressed that the arrival of the Serbian delegation to Zagreb and talks with Croatian MPs represent a positive trend in relation to all that was arguable in the past several months. "I believe this is the beginning of a future constructive cooperation between the two countries," the Croatian president underlined.
"This generation of politicians in Croatia and Serbia does not have the right to leave problems to the next generation, and has to resolve them," Josipovic underscored, adding that the current issues are related to the people's rights, the border and destinies of the people who were included in the war.
Janko Veselinovic, Head of the Friendship group with Croatia, wished a successful mandate to Josipovic and thanked him for including the regional cooperation among the priorities of his foreign policy. He said that he expects the two countries to cooperate in order to solve the problems of ordinary citizens, i.e. finding of missing persons, the return of refugees, the return of cultural treasures, and issues of the border, and added that he hopes the cooperation will be successful.

JANDROKOVIC: COOPERATION BETWEEN SERBIA, CROATIA IMPORTANT
ZAGREB, Feb 23 (Tanjug) - Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Jandrokovic said Tuesday that cooperation between Serbia and Croatia is important for the whole southeastern Europe region. This is why Croatia supports Serbia's European perspective politically and technically, he said.
The two-day visit of the Serbian parliament Group for Friendship with Croatia headed by Janko Veselinovic to Zagreb demonstrates the fostering of inter-parliamentary cooperation, he said. Noting that he will pursue his endeavors for the best possible relations with Serbia, Jandrokovic commended the decision of the Serbian government to apply for the status of candidate for European Union membership and the EU decision to grant visa liberalization to Serbia and unfreeze the Interim Trade Agreement.
Besides inter-parliamentary cooperation, progress is evident also in cooperation in the economic, judiciary, tourism, culture and police sectors, he said. Croatia wants to foster good neighborly relations with Serbia in order to resolve the remaining open issues and foster stability in the region, he said. The rivalry between the two countries should be transformed into partnership to the benefit of both states and their peoples, he said.
As regards the status of minorities in Croatia and Serbia, Jandrokovic expressed his conviction that the Croat minority in Serbia will be enabled to exercise the same rights as the Serb minority in Croatia, in keeping with the bilateral agreement to that effect.

BULGARIAN, SERBIAN CULTURE MINISTER DISCUSS COOPERATION
BELGRADE, Feb 24 (Tanjug) - Serbian Culture Minister Nebojsa Bradic met with his Bulgarian counterpart Vezdi Rasidov during an official visit to Sofia on Tuesday, to discuss the cooperation program of the two ministries for the 2010-2012 period, the Ministry of Culture said in a statement.
The program, which will be signed soon, will define the framework for the development and fostering of cooperation between the two countries in different cultural areas. The agreement will require the signatory countries to support and stimulate all forms of cooperation between cultural institutions and organizations.  More intensive cooperation in the area of publishing, focused on stimulating the translation of contemporary literature and participation at the international book fairs in both countries, was agreed on at the meeting.

VOJVODINA, HUNGARY TELEVISION COOPERATION RENEWED
NOVI SAD, Feb 23 (Tanjug) - Vojvodina Television (RTV) Director Aleksandar Dotlic and Acting President of the Hungarian National Television Blazo Medvecki on Tuesday signed a protocol of cooperation between the two media, the RTV stated today.
Under the document, the cooperation former Television Novi Sad had with the Hungarian national television was practically renewed, said Dotlic, adding that the future cooperation will include exchange of programs, knowledge, experience and staff, development of projects and organization of joint training of journalists. Medvecki underscored that Hungary's television is very much interested in programs of their ethnic minority in the neighboring countries, underscoring that the renewal of cooperation with the RTV is of exceptional importance for them.

SERBIA – ECONOMY, CINANCE

SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF IMF ARRANGEMENT REVISION
BELGRADE, Feb 23 (Tanjug) - The Serbian government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission have reached an agreement on the completion of the third revision of the stand-by arrangement which will allow Serbia to withdraw EUR 350 million planned for the support of the foreign currency reserves.
The agreement should be approved by the Board of Governors and the Executive Board of the IMF, IMF Mission Chief for Serbia Albert Jaeger stated, adding that this is expected late in March.  Serbian Minister of Finance Diana Dragutinovic stated that the third revision of the stand-by arrangement with the IMF has been completed successfully. Dragutinovic pointed out at a press conference in the Serbian government that the content of the pension system reform in Serbia has been arranged with the IMF. She said that it was agreed that pensions should follow the dynamics of salaries in the public sector, adding that dynamics of increase of the salaries will be determined in the next revision of the arrangement with the IMF.
As a result, the bill on fiscal responsibility will be adopted, and afterward the new pension bill, the minister said.  Dragutinovic said that during this revision, it was stated that all arranged fiscal policy criteria were met according to the plan. She said that the fourth revision of the arrangement will take into account the fulfillment of the arranged goals by March 31, 2010.

JAEGER: SERBIAN GOVERNMENT RESPECTED AGREEMENT
BELGRADE, Feb 23 (Tanjug) - Following the completion of the third revision, head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Mission Albert Jaeger stated on Tuesday that the Serbian government had respected the agreement made as part of the stand-by arrangement, adding that a final evaluation on the third revision of the arrangement will be made by the IMF Board of Directors in late March.
Jaeger told a news conference at the Serbian government that if the Board makes a positive evaluation, Serbia will be able to draw another EUR 350 million from the stand-by arrangement, aimed at strengthening its foreign exchange reserves. Speaking about the revision itself, Jaeger estimated that Serbia might expect an increase of its GDP by up to two percent in 2010 and up to three percent in 2011. He pointed out that Serbia should no longer expect high growth rates of five to six percent a year, as it was the case in the previous years, and that it will have to change its model in running the country's economy.
This means that it will have to reduce its high public expenditure to increase production of commodities for exports and to strengthen the domestic currency compared to euro, if it wants to increase its credit activity, said Jaeger. He also said that the high growth of the GDP in the past years was paid dearly through a high increase of the current balance deficit which had amounted to over 17% of the GDP.

JAEGER: SERBIA STILL HAS TO REDUCE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES
BELGRADE, Feb 23 (Tanjug) - International Monetary Fund (IMF) Mission Chief Albert Jaeger said Tuesday that Serbia still has to reduce the number of public administration employees by 10 percent.
At a press conference held in the building of the Serbian government, he pointed out that Serbia assured the IMF that this will be carried out more or less by April. If that does not happen, the issue will be discussed on the occasion of the next revision of the arrangement in May, Jaeger announced.

INCREASE OF EXPORTS OF SERBIAN, ITALIAN PRODUCTS TO RUSSIA
BELGRAE, Feb 23 (Tanjug) - Setting up of a Committee of the Italo-Serbian-Russian businessmen should contribute to a considerable increase of exports of Serbia's and Italy's products to Russia, Vincenzo Divella, the president of the Italo-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, stated today. In an interview with Tanjug, Divella said that the setting up of the Committee will enable Italian companies to come to Serbia and jointly produce goods for Russia's market.
"We will start with promotion of cooperation in the area of agriculture, production of footwear, ready wear, wooden furniture, informatics and mechanics, and will subsequently expand it, depending on the market needs and the interest of sectors," said Divella. He noted that Serbia's products would be made more attractive to foreign markets through the mixed committee and Italian design and Serbia would utilize the signed free trade agreements better.
Recalling that the Free Trade Agreement Serbia had signed with the Russian Federation, as well as the expanding Serbian-Russian relations are the basis for the setting up of the Committee, Divella underscored that the aim of the Committee is to promote the economic cooperation among the three countries, taking advantage of the Free Trade Agreement signed by Serbia and Russia.

KOSOVO AND METOHIJA

BELGRADE-PRISTINA DIALOGUE NEEDED REGARDLESS OF ICJ DECISION
PRISTINA, Feb 23 (Tanjug) - Head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) Lamberto Zannier told Tanjug on Tuesday that he still feels that Belgrade and Pristina need to establish a dialogue, regardless of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) decision on the legality of Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence.
According to Zannier, it is difficult to say if Belgrade and Pristina will be any closer to negotiating after the ICJ delivers its decision because some views on this issue are formed even before the ICJ takes its stand. Belgrade would like to start certain processes, while Pristina is against that, said Zannier, adding that he still feels that dialogue would help both sides.
Zannier pointed out that a dialogue on technical issues would help towards better understanding, progress and stabilization in Kosovo. Commenting on EU Special Representative Pieter Feith's strategy to integrate northern Kosovo, Zannier stressed that UNMIK was not consulted when the document was prepared nor took part in the work on any of its aspects, which then includes its implementation. UNMIK's goal is to solve problems by increasing the level of participation and engagement by communities, said Zannier, adding that the focus is more on particular issues rather than principles.
When asked if the strategy might destabilize the situation in Kosovo, Zannier answered that it could boost stability if the principles of dialogue and transparency are observed. UNMIK has noticed the existence of the strategy, but it is not part of the strategy's implementation and has a neutral stand on the issue, Zannier noted, explaining that he has his own plan that is in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and will continue based on it.
Zannier pointed out that violence cannot serve anyone's interest, and that he hopes the latest incidents in Kosovo are just isolated episodes. Speaking about the causes for the slow return of refugees and displaced persons, Zannier stated that there are many elements affecting that process, citing economic situation and security issues. Commenting on the implementation of the six-point plan, the chief of UNMIK said that efforts are being taken to name an EU representative for the protection of religious and cultural heritage who will be acceptable for both Belgrade and Pristina and who will try to improve the work in this field.
There is progress when it comes to the rule of law, because Serb police officers have been reinstated, Zannier noted. According to Zannier, UNMIK intends to remain present in the same way, performing the same functions as it has so far, in Kosovska Mitrovica, unless some drastic changes occur.

KOSOVO JUDICIAL SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE UNBLOCKED
PRISTINA, Feb 24 (Tanjug) - UNMIK Chief Lamberto Zannier announced that the operation of the judicial system in northern Kosovo could be the subject of the next round of talks between EULEX and Belgrade. In a statement with Tanjug, Zannier said that progress in the judicial system in northern Kosovo has been very slow.
Several steps need to be taken in order to establish municipal and district courts in northern Kosovo. The dialogue with Belgrade is ongoing and we are hopeful that further steps will be taken to resolve the issue, he said. Asked for his view on the appointment of Serb judges and prosecutors in Kosovska Mitrovica, Zannier said that he does not justify or encourage unilateral moves, as they only make the situation more difficult.
Zannier said that two judicial systems cannot exist in a single area such as Kosovo, but that, considering the differing positions on its status, a solution needs to be found that would enable unblocking in certain situations and in certain key areas.