Belgrade, 28. 01. 2010.

BIJELO POLJE, Jan 27 (Tanjug) - Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic said Wednesday addressing a St. Sava day celebration in Bijelo Polje that conflict between brothers is a greatest misfortune and called for unity of Serbia and Montenegro.

He reminded the participants of St. Sava's adage that conflict between brothers is a greatest misfortune and that if one does not stand upright on his own in the face of greatest hardships and ordeals, noone can support him. Throughout history, Serbia and Montenegro have always been together and have never been, nor must they ever be, in conflict, Jeremic said. Today, like in St. Sava's time, relations in the world are changing, but the brotherhood, common history and common survival of Serbia and Montenegro are eternal, he said. The unity of the peoples of Serbia and Montenegro in religion, customs and spiritual heritage cannot be destroyed, Jeremic said.

The greatest challenge the Serb people is facing today is once again Kosovo, he noted. Serbia is today defending Kosovo with truth and wisdom, with determination and wholeheartedly, as this is its historic duty, he said. Serbia will not give an inch in defending Kosovo, as it had never done in centuries past, is refusing to do now, and will never do in the future, Jeremic said. By celebrating St. Sava and living every day according to his teachings, the people of Serbia are stitching an embroidery linking the present with eternity, he said.

ADDIS ABABA, Jan 28 (Tanjug) - Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic on Thursday welcomed the fact that as many as 80 percent of the member-states of the African Union (AU) had not recognized Kosovo and called on them to maintain such a stand.

"In the name of the Republic of Serbia, I would like to express my profound appreciation to the over eighty percent of African Union countries that have not recognized the separatists in Kosovo. Your support for our sovereignty and territorial integrity is truly gratifying," Jeremic said at the 16th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Unity in Addis Ababa. "I have come here to plead that you maintain your principled reservation on the Kosovo issue," Minister Jeremic said. "This case will constitute a strong precedent. It marks the first time ever that the Court has been asked to consider the legality of a unilateral attempt by an ethnic minority to secede from a UN member State in peacetime, in defiance of its Constitution and the will of the Security Council. "We ask all the non-recognizing countries represented in this room to stay the course, by not accepting Kosovo's attempted secession. We do so not only in the name of our traditional ties of friendship, but in the name of working together to consolidate a rules-based international order for the 21st century-one in which secession is clearly seen as a dangerous threat, and one in which reaching agreement between the parties is the only legitimate, sustainable way forward," said Jeremic.

"From the onset of this grave crisis, we decided to respond to the illegitimate effort to forcibly partition Serbia in a peaceful manner, and with maximal restraint. We chose to harness all the diplomatic resources at our disposal to counter secession, and contain its potentially destabilizing consequences. Thanks to the overwhelming support achieved in the UN General Assembly, the International Court of Justice was tasked with ruling on the legality of Kosovo's attempt at secession. The Court's decision is expected this year. "Accordingly, the Court's conclusions will have extensive consequences for the entire international community-perhaps for African Union states most of all. Imagine how many UN member States of this great continent would be affected by the legitimization of forcible partition. The borders of every multiethnic state could be threatened, producing instability in all corners of Africa. Progress, development, human rights, and ultimately-peace, would be jeopardized. The achievements of generations of African statesmen would be set back, as the number of crises multiplies. "That is why it is imperative-why it is absolutely critical-for the Court to be allowed to do its job, unhindered by political pressures, such as further recognitions of Kosovo's separatists. "It is the only way to avoid doing any further damage to the legitimacy of the international system and the universality of the values we hold in common," said Jeremic.

Minister Jeremic, who has arrived on a two-day visit to Ethiopia in order to participate in the AU Council Session and meet with heads of delegations, recalled that Serbia has stood firmly with Africa throughout its contemporary history, while Belgrade hosted the First Non-Aligned Movement Summit in 1961. "In the political sphere, I want to underline that Serbia will soon join the European Union. At the same time, we will keep emphasizing our conviction that international stability and prosperity cannot be consolidated without taking into account the views of important actors on the world stage, such as the African Union," Jeremic also said. As a member of the EU, Serbia will be a bridge between the EU and AU, evaluated Jeremic.

"We believe that, in the interdependent world of the 21st century, Serbia's membership in the European Union would give a new, more profound meaning to our relations with AU member states. This would not only ensure that more than forty African nations would have a true friend in Brussels, but it would also lead to an increase in both understanding and cooperation between the two Unions," said Jeremic. "Let me underline the fact that as an observer country, Serbia fully supports the Vision and Objectives of the African Union, rooted in the United Nations Charter-including those provisions related to the obligation to uphold the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states," concluded Minister Jeremic.

BELGRADE, Jan 28 (Tanjug) - Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic has evaluated that there is a growing anxiety within the provisional self-government institutions in Pristina regarding the outcome of the proceedings before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague.

In a situation like this, it is most important that the Serbian representatives maintain their calm and do not respond hastily to provocation attempts no matter how painful they were, Minister Jeremic said in an interview published by Politika, warning that there will be other cases such as arrests and mistreatment of some high-ranking state officials of Serbia who arrive in Kosovo and Metohija. What we may do in the diplomatic sense is to file a sharp protest with relevant international forums every time (UN Security Council) Resolution 1244 is violated and every time basic civilization values, such as the right to freedom of movement, are jeopardized," said Jeremic. Jeremic said that after one such Serbia's sharp intervention in the UN Security Council in New York last Friday on the occasion of the announcement by International Civil Office (ICO) head Peter Feith regarding plans for Kosovo and Metohija's integration, the European Union officially stated at a meeting in Brussels that the EU was not behind those "plans."

Minister Jeremic believes that after such an explicit statement by the EU there is no danger of the plan being implemented, because it is not backed by the international Kosovo Force (KFOR). Jeremic also said that the official Belgrade will also continue to cooperate closely with international organizations that operate in the province in keeping with the decision of the Security Council, but that "the International Civil Office is not one of them." The minister further said that the authorities in Serbia expect that the ICJ's opinion will be such that it will create an obstacle on the road the provisional institutions in Kosovo had been taking so far, which is imposing the so-called new reality proclaimed on February 17, 2008.

BELGRADE, Jan 27 (Tanjug) - Serbian Parliament Speaker Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic said Wednesday that the Serbian people will not forget any tragic events where innocent civilians were the victims, regardless of whether it was caused by national, political, religious or ethnic differences.

"The continuity of such crimes in recent history stands in opposition of the progressive civilizational achievements, and it is the duty of every public institution, as well as Serbian citizens, to rise against any kind of criminal action," Djukic-Dejanovic stated on the Holocaust Memorial Day.

OSWIECIM, Jan 27 (Tanjug) - Serbian Minister of Culture Nebojsa Bradic attended Wednesday the marking of the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp in Memorial Auschwitz- Birkenau State Museum and took part in the conference dubbed Auschwitz - Remembrance, Responsibility, Education.

At the conference that gathered great number of ministers and experts from 35 countries, Bradic, on the behalf of the Serbian government, expressed sympathy and respect for victims and urged the present to build future based on shared ideals of peace, understanding and tolerance through an adequate attitude toward historical events.

The Serbian minister said that Serbia marks Wednesday the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust at the high state level with special stress laid on the importance of the educational aspect, adding that the Serbian government is against historical revisionism and relativization of crimes committed during World War II and awakening of all types of neo-Nazism.

Bradic recalled that the huge exhibition space of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) that existed in the Auschwitz- Birkenau State Museum by 2008 is currently closed, adding that the Republic of Serbia is willing to share this exhibition space with the former Yugoslav republics, which are nowadays independent states, and will put all efforts to enable the interested countries stage their exhibitions.

BELGRADE, Jan 28 (Tanjug) - The Saint Sava Academy, traditional celebration honoring the first Serbian archbishop and educator, was held Wednesday evening, in the presence of the highest government and church representatives, students and professors.

Serbian Education Minister Zarko Obradovic wished the education workers a happy slava, adding that education, particularly of younger generations, is the state's top priority. "It is our interest to be an equal part of the world, not giving up on our own identity and Saint Sava heritage and not allowing anybody to reorganize our historic memory," Obradovic said. Knowledge and larger investments in knowledge are crucial conditions for survival and progress, Obradovic pointed out. Only an educated Serbia can fight for and preserve its place in modern Europe, he said, adding that there is no European Serbia without education based on the European standards.

WASHINGTON, Jan 28 (Tanjug) - US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Stuart Jones has stated that all the West Balkan countries that want to joint the Euro-Atlantic community can count on Washington's wholehearted support and help. Pointing out that the policy of US President Barack Obama's Administration is not to exert pressure on any country, Jones said that, when it comes to relations between Belgrade and Washington, it is necessary to find a means for specific cooperation with the aim of a better life of Serbs and Albanians.

According to Jones, the most important thing is the progress made in the US-Serbia relations after the visit of US Vice-President Joseph Biden to the region in May 2009. Biden said that the US and Serbia should put aside their disagreements regarding Kosovo and devote to a better mutual understanding, shared goals and cooperation in the region, Jones said in an interview for the Voice of America.

Pointing out that Serbia and the US having different opinions on Kosovo is the main obstacle for closer cooperation between the two countries, the US official said that Washington believes that Kosovo's independence is irreversible, but that they accept the different position of Belgrade. Belgrade has a different position - that Kosovo is still a part of Serbia. At the end we will have to find a solution, Jones said. Concerning the dispute on northern part of Kosovo, Jones said that the US would support neither the division nor any extreme circumstances.

BELGRADE, Jan 27 (Tanjug) - Russian Ambassador to Belgrade Alexander Konuzin said on Wednesday that a general agreement has been reached on Russia granting a USD 200 million loan for the stabilization of the Serbian budget. There is a general understanding that the remaining amount from the loan, which totals USD 1 billion, will be spent on infrastructural projects, said Konuzin after a meeting with Belgrade Deputy Mayor Milan Krkobabic.

Konuzin pointed out that the Serbian side presented necessary projects primarily in the area of railroad and road construction. Some of the projects have already been submitted and are being considered on a technical level. When the projects are coordinated, certain amounts from the loan will be allocated for their realization, he pointed out. The realization of the projects will depend on the cooperation between the two sides, and we believe agreement on the course of action will be reached very soon, Konuzin said.

BELGRADE, Jan 27 (Tanjug) - During the first nine months of 2009 Serbia imported goods from Algeria to the value of EUR 55,000 and exported goods to the value of EUR 14.5 million. According to data form the Directorate of Bilateral Economic Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia (MIP) only helium gas was imported.

Deputy Director of the Directorate of Bilateral Economic Cooperation Radoslav Jankovic said that Serbia's trade balance with Algeria is in constant surplus, as in the period between January and November 2009 Serbia exported goods to the value of EUR 14.49 million. Serbian companies present in Algeria include the pharmaceutical company Hemofarm and the civil engineering and contracting company Energoprojekt, which found the right business model - partnership with Algerian companies.

At a meeting of experts on the commercial potentials of African countries at the Belgrade Chamber of Commerce, Jankovic encouraged Serbian companies to enter into cooperation with companies from Algeria and get acquainted with the Algerian trade regulations, according to which 70 percent of the capital in foreign trade partnership belongs to the foreign and 30 percent to the domestic company. Serbian economy has great potential for access to the Algerian market, Algerian Ambassador to Serbia Abdelkader Mesdoua underscored. The ambassador said that Algeria is a politically stable country nowadays, and that it has the potential for further economic growth.