BELGRADE, Feb 25 (Tanjug) - Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic said Thursday that in the past period a great improvement in fight against corruption and corrupt people was made, but added that there is enough room to enhance the fight even more. At a parliament's session, at which the MPs put questions to the prime minister and members of his cabinet, Cvetkovic said that an improvement was undoubtedly made when it comes to the fight against corrupt people and criminals.

"In that sense, when you look at what the current government has done, I think you would hardly find a man who can say that previous governments were more active regarding the matter," the prime minister pointed out, and reminded that the fight against corruption is one of the priorities of his government.

Cvetkovic underscored that the fight will continue, but that he is not fully satisfied, since more cases could have been revealed, although, he said, a significant improvement was made, which makes him peaceful.

When asked by the MPs of the Liberal Democratic Party how is it that the leading drug boss Darko Saric got the Serbian citizenship, Cvetkovic said that "it is possible that Saric was corrupt even before he got the citizenship," and added that he heard of him for the first time only a few months ago.

BELGRADE, Feb 26 (Tanjug) - Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic evaluated in Belgrade late on Thursday that the relations between Serbia and Kuwait as "excellent", announcing their further promotion during his upcoming visit to the Gulf country. "After the visit by my counterpart Sheikh Nasser Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, I expect economic, cultural and other relations between the two countries to be raised to a higher level during my visit to Kuwait in mid-March," Cvetkovic stated. The prime minister expressed his great satisfaction for being able to personally congratulate the people and leadership of Kuwait on their National Day. Kuwait marks February 25 as the day when it gained independence in 1961 after a several-decade-long colonial rule of Great Britain.

BELGRADE, Feb 25 (Tanjug) - Serbian parliament Speaker Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic and Charge d'Affaires of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Paul-Emile Tshinga Ahuka agreed on Thursday that economic cooperation between the two countries should be improved, especially in the field of energy. It is necessary to improve the interparliamentary relations, as it is the cooperation via individual parliamentary bodies that will strengthen the relations between Serbia and Congo, Djukic-Dejanovic said.

The charge d'affaires of the Democratic Republic of the Congo believes that the meeting with the Serbian parliament speaker represents a new phase in the development of the countries' bilateral relations. Even though the priority of Serbia's foreign policy is entering the European Union, cooperation with countries with which we have a long tradition of good relations, such as Congo, is an important element of Serbia's foreign policy as well, Djukic-Dejanovic underlined. Ahuka announced that his country's foreign minister will visit Serbia at the end of March.

BELGRADE, Feb 25 (Tanjug) - A meeting with the delegation of Egyptian businessmen was held in the Serbian Ministry of Mining and Energy on Thursday, where the possibilities of cooperation between Egypt and Serbia in the field of energy were discussed, Tanjug has learned from the ministry.

Except for Serbia's Minister of Mining and Energy Petar Skundric and his associates, the meeting was also attended by Director of the Electric Power Industry of Serbia Dragomir Markovic and Director of Srbijagas Dusan Bajatovic. The Egyptian delegation, which had meetings with the highest state officials of Serbia on Wednesday, was headed by Egyptian Minister of Trade and Industry Rashid Mohamed Rashid, and the goal of their visit is familiarizing with the business ambient in Serbia. It was evaluated that this is the most important delegation of Egyptian businessmen that has ever visited Serbia.

ZAJECAR, Feb 26 (Tanjug) - Swiss Ambassador to Serbia Erwin Hofer announced Thursday in Zajecar the intensification of the cooperation between Switzerland and Serbia, which will be concretized at the beginning of March with the promotion of a Strategy on cooperation between the two countries in the period 2010-2014. The key of the strategy will be the cooperation between municipalities in Serbia and Switzerland.

Apart from political cooperation which is good, our wish is to improve the trade cooperation as well, and we hope that the free trade agreement, signed by Switzerland, is one of the ways to achieve that goal, Hofer said.

The Swiss ambassador attended on Thursday the premiere of a documentary about the great friend of Serbs, Sir Archibald Rice, by Zivojin Zdravkovic.

On this occasion Ambassador Hofer said that Archibald Rice is a symbol of strong relations between Serbia and Switzerland and that the movie fortifies the friendship even more. A cousin of the Rice family was among the guests, as well as members of the rotary clubs from across Serbia.

Doctor Archibald Rice was a Swiss criminologist who made considerable contribution to investigation of crimes against the Serbian people in World War I. He came to Serbia in 1914, upon a call of the Serbian government, and stayed there. He joined the Serbian army in its movement across Albania and Thessaloniki Front and marched into the liberated Belgrade in 1918 together with the Morava Division. He was particularly devoted to helping Serbian refugees and took care of the Serbs orphans in Switzerland. He died in Belgrade in 1929.

BELGRADE, Feb 25 (Tanjug) - Serbian Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government Milan Markovic did not rule out the possibility of new incidents in southern Serbia after last week's attack on a police officer in Bujanovac, but said they will not stop the integration process in that part of the country.

"The situation is very complex, and there is certainly a connection between the events in Presevo and Bujanovac and the policy of the Pristina interim government," Minister Markovic, who is also the president of the Coordination Body for the Municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja, said in an interview for the Friday edition of the daily Vecernje novosti.

Asked if there was a chance instability would spread from northern Kosovo into southern Serbia, Markovic noted that ethnic Albanian leaders in these municipalities visit Pristina regularly, and that certain parties cooperate closely with Albanian parties in Kosovo-Metohija, but pointed out that Serbia's "security forces are ready to protect all citizens and their property." Asked about the frequent proposals by ethnic Albanians to make Bujanovac and Presevo a part of Kosovo in exchange for the northern part of the province, Markovic responded that we cannot trade what is ours for something else which is also ours.

BONN, Feb 26 (Tanjug) - Serbian President Boris Tadic stated Thursday during his visit to Berlin that it would be a mistake to decelerate the EU enlargement to the West Balkans, the Cologne-based radio Deutsche Welle reported on Friday.

Tadic also underscored that it is "necessary for the European institutions to discuss the possibility of acceleration of the enlargement process in the following period". That should be done, as he put it, by "Germany which is one of the key EU members", the radio reported. Tadic conferred with President of the German Bundestag Norbert Lammert on Thursday in Berlin on Serbia's EU integration and political and economic cooperation between the two countries.

BELGRADE, Feb 25 (Tanjug) - Serbia is making progress on its pathway towards European integration, but it is necessary to speed up the work on the implementation of the Interim Trade Agreement, bearing in mind that this is a bilateral contract relation, as well as on enforcement of reform processes, Director of the EU Integration Office Milica Delevic said late Thursday.

"Serbia is expected to harmonize the process of passing laws, as well as its enforcement, with European legislation, which will be the issue of the 2010 report of the European Commission," she said at the conference dubbed 'Serbia: a step closer to European integration' organized by Italian Development Cooperation in Serbia.

Raffaele Trombetta, Deputy Director General for European Integration, pointed out that the relations between Serbia and Italy are important for security in the region, and said that Serbia's admission to the EU will bring benefit to the Union, because of its contributions to European culture, history and tradition. We are dedicated to supporting Serbia's EU candidacy, and during the Spanish presidency in the Union a conference on Western Balkans will be held on a high level. The cooperation between Serbia and Italy is also important in the area of security in the Adriatic-Ionian region, Trombetta underlined.

BELGRADE, Feb 25 (Tanjug) - The EU has set aside some EUR 850 million for Serbia from its pre-accession (IPA) funds and relevant projects have already been prepared, deputy head of the European Commission delegation in Belgrade Adriano Martins said Thursday.

He told a conference on Serbia's integration in the European Union organized by the Italian Development Cooperation Office in Belgrade that the EC will be deciding in November on concrete projects to compete for IPA funds for 2010. He commended Serbia's authorities for their endeavors to have as many projects as possible prepared and adopted by that time. Depending on progress in Serbia's compliance with EU standards, the EU expects significant funds to be transferred in 2011 and 2012, he said.

Italian Ambassador to Belgrade Armando Varricchio said he expects the results achieved in December 2009 to be consolidated in 2010. He was referring above all to the implementation of the Interim Trade Agreement between Serbia and the EU and to visa liberalization. The process of Serbia's accession to the EU has a good perspective, he said. He also emphasized the importance of further commitment of the EC to that process and of a more active participation of the civil sector.

ZAGREB, Feb 26 (Tanjug) - The statement by Serbian President Boris Tadic regarding the proceedings against former Croatian general Ante Gotovina before The Hague Tribunal can be construed as pressure on the court's decisions, said Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor.

Kosor said that it would not be good if the statement is interpreted as some kind of pressure on the courts decisions, Croatian Radiotelevision reported. "Every court, The Hague Tribunal included, must operate independently, based on evidence and hearings, and we expect such a verdict," she said.

In an interview for the Belgrade weekly Vreme, Tadic said that it would be very damaging to the relations between Serbia and Croatia if Ante Gotovina, who is on trial in The Hague for crimes committed against Serb civilians during and after Operation Storm, were to be set free on account of, as he put it, so-called lack of evidence, the Croatian media reported. In addition to Gotovina, former generals Ivan Cermak and Mladen Markac were also charged with crimes committed during and after Operation Storm.

PODGORICA, Feb 26 (Tanjug) - Montenegrin Justice Minister Miras Radovic stated late on Thursday that during his meeting with his Serbian counterpart Snezana Malovic it was concluded that there are no grounds for Montenegro to extradite its citizens on suspicion that they had committed crime, but that no crime perpetrator may remain unconvicted.

In a statement with TV Crna Gora, Radovic said that it was concluded jointly that every future communication should be free of any kind of politiziation. "We concluded that neither Serbia nor Montenegro may extradite their citizens. This implies the need to establish such forms of cooperation that will make sure that no perpetrator of a criminal act may remain unconvicted," said Radovic after yesterday's meeting with Minister Malovic in Belgrade.

"We are aware that the operation Balkan Warrior was followed by politization, and that is why we agreed that the future legal assistance should be free of that," said Radovic.

NOVI SAD, Feb 25 (Tanjug) - Prime Minister of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina Bojan Pajtic said during his meeting with a delegation of the Alliance of Serbs in Romania that Serbia's northern province will do its best to help Serb communities in the neighboring and other countries in the preservation of their national identity.

The delegation of the Alliance of Serbs in Romania, led by its President Slavomir Gvozdenovic, and a representative of the Serb national minority in the Romanian parliament, Dr Dusan Popov, asked for help in furnishing of the Serb House in Temisvar, preserving of the Dositej Obradovic highschool, printing of a monograph on the condition of Serbian churches, as well as for printing of books written in the Serbian language, it is stated in a release of Vojvodina Secretariat of Information.

BUDAPEST/NOVI SAD, Feb 26 (Tanjug) - Assembly of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina speaker Sandor Egeresi and Hungarian parliament speaker Bela Katona conferred in Budapest on the realization of joint assignments of the two parliaments concerning cross-boarder cooperation and initiated better cooperation between the parliament committees, the Vojvodina provincial secretariat for information reported on Friday.

Katona received Egeresi on Thursday and on the occasion possibilities of continuation of cooperation between the two parliaments were discussed, it was released in a joint statement of the two speakers. During the discussion on drafting of the Danube Strategy, Katona backed Egeresi's proposal to hold the summit of the speakers of the Danube region countries in Novi Sad in October, the statement reads.

BRUSSELS, Feb 23 (Tanjug) - The term of office of the European Union Special Representative in Kosovo Peter Feith was extended Thursday at a session of EU justice and interior ministers. The terms of office of Feith and several other special representatives were extended until August 31. The decision on extension of Feith's term of office had already been agreed earlier but was not officially confirmed Monday at the session of EU foreign ministers due to procedural regulations, spokesperson of the Spanish EU Presidency Cristina Gallach told Tanjug Tuesday. The official confirmation of that decision was scheduled for the Thursday session of EU justice and interior ministers, she said.

BELGRADE, Feb 25 (Tanjug) - State Secretary in the Serbian Ministry for Kosovo-Metohija Oliver Ivanovic said Thursday he could not understand the decision of the European Union to extend the term of office of its Special Representative in Kosovo Peter Feith. No solution can be found with a man who has placed himself at the service of Kosovo's independence, Ivanovic told Tanjug.

Feith is not acceptable to Kosovo Serbs. He communicates only with Albanians and only sends messages to Serbs, messages which are causing concern among the Serb community, Ivanovic said. This status quo has now been extended by another six months, he said. According to Ivanovic, the EU should consider appointing a new representative for Kosovo as well as changing its mission, he said. Ivanovic believes that the EU should understand the complexity of the situation, close the International Civilian Office, give up on Feith and form a new mission which would be entrusted equally to the UN and the EU in keeping with the Resolution 1244.

A particular problem is the fact that Feith exercises two opposing functions - that of head of the International Civilian Office, which is working on the basis of Martti Ahtisaari's plan, and that of special representative of the EU high commissioner for foreign policy and security, which should make him neutral as regards Kosovo's independence, Ivanovic said.

ZAGREB, Feb 26 (Tanjug) - Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu in a statement published by the Zagreb daily Jutarnji List on Friday that he is ready to meet with Serbian President Boris Tadic any place at any time, provided it is a meeting of presidents of two independent states.

"It has to be a meeting of presidents of two independent states. These have to be interstate talks and not some talks about the status of Kosovo, which Belgrade keeps saying all the time. We are an independent state," said Sejdiu. According to him, Kosovo is being discussed in Belgrade as a problem, adding that "there is no problem."

PRISTINA, Feb 25 (Tanjug) - Minister of Communities and Returns in the Kosovo government Sasa Rasic said Thursday that a total of 1,553 persons returned to Kosovo in 2009, and evaluated that "security and freedom of movement are no longer a problem for the return of the refugees."

Speaking of the plans for the return in 2010 at a press conference in Pristina, Rasic said that several hundred refugee families are expected to come back to Kosovo. "We will make possible for 50 to 60 families to return to the municipalities of Vucitrn, Prizren and Klina through the joint projects with our local partners. When it comes to the outstanding project supported by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), we expect 140 families to return in the first half of 2010, and 150 families in the second half of the year," Rasic pointed out.

He appealed to all the refugees from Kosovo to return to their homes. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Kosovo Chief of Mission Herman Stuurwold said that this organization will continue to support the return to Kosovo. It is not easy to ask of people to return to their homeland under any circumstances. This implies a greater effort to provide safe environment for them, Stuurwold underlined.

PRISTINA, Feb 25 (Tanjug) - KFOR units staged five military exercises throughout Kosovo between January 15 and 24, thereby confirming that they are ready to react to any situation which could pose a threat to security on the entire territory of Kosovo, NATO forces in the province said in a release on Thursday.

The KFOR command's release states that the exercises were conducted so as to check the full operational capability of multinational combat groups after the structural changes in the international military forces have taken place. More than 5,000 soldiers from 31 countries, 700 tactical vehicles on land, and 21 helicopters for air support, were included in this military simulation of real-life battle conditions, KFOR said.

The exercises confirmed that the multinational battle groups are fast, very flexible, mobile, and ready to deploy in response to any situation which might endanger security on the whole territory of Kosovo, the release says. FOR said there will be further exercises so that the groups could be trained and their operational capability preserved at the highest possible level, which should ensure safer environment and freedom of movement for all people in Kosovo. FOR contingent in Kosovo was cut down to 10,000 soldiers at the end of January this year.

STRASBOURG, Feb 26 (Tanjug) - Over two million Europeans who need the rule of law, good administration and respect of human rights, regardless of the community they belong to, live in Kosovo and Metohija, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) reporter Bjor von Sydow has stated.

Von Sydow said at the end of his five-day visit to the province that he had met with ordinary people of all communities and that they had all complained about the spreading corruption, lack of reliable justice and bad implementation of laws. Such a situation undermines the administration, affects the people's trust in the authorities and jeopardizes Kosovo's prospects for economic development.

Von Sydow expressed his hope that his report on the situation in Kosovo and Metohija and the ways of establishing dialogue between the oldest European integration and political forces in the province's parliament will be discussed at a PACE plenary session, scheduled for June 21-25 in Strasbourg, in order to improve the work of the local democratic institutions.