May, 15 2008.

Hague Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz has submitted his regular report to the UN Security Council, regarding the work of the Prosecution, stated Prosecution Spokesperson Olga Kavran. She said that Brammertz has presented a comprehensive assessment of the cooperation with Serbia. However, Kavran did not wish to disclose any detail, adding that the report will be published later in the UN headquarters in New York. Brammertz’ assessment of Belgrade’s cooperation with The Hague is of key importance for the continuation of Serbia’s European integrations, i.e. for the beginning of the realization of the Stabilization and Association Agreement, as well as receiving the status of a candidate for the membership in the EU.

May, 15  2008.

KFOR’s mandate in Kosmet will not be changed and those troops will carry on acting as previewed in the UN Resolution 1244, stated Commander of Joint NATO forces for southern Europe Marc Fitzgerald. The US general has stated that KFOR’s basic role is to create condition for peace and safety in the Province, i.e. the freedom of move, economic progress and protection of human rights. According to him, with that goal in mind KFOR will cooperate with all international organizations and coordinate its activities with the provincial authorities. Fitzgerald has not commented on the claim of western media that the authorities in Pristina are insisting on the change of KFOR mandate, so that it could start the training of the so-called security forces of Kosmet.

May, 15  2008.

Russia and Spain are resolutely against the change of KFOR’s role in Kosmet, which would relate to the training of the so-called security forces, emphasized Serbian Army Chief of Staff Zdravko Ponos in Brussels, after the talks with Russian and Spanish colleagues Yuri Baluevski and Felix Roland. According to Ponos, they agree with Belgrade’s stance that KFOR’s mission is to guard the safety of all citizens in Kosmet, in accordance with provisions of the UN Resolution 1244. The Serbian general has said that it was jointly assessed that any potential change of mandate must be granted by the Security Council. Ponos has underlined that the meeting wi9th general Baluevski means the beginning of renewing the military cooperation between Russia and Serbia after years of hiatus. He announced a significant participation of Russia in the renovation of the Serbian air forces and modernization of other armed forces.

May,15  2008.

Serbian President Boris Tadic has greeted the pledging of Russia, India and China for the renewal of Belgrade-Pristina talks on the status of Kosmet, and he stressed that the stance of Serbia is that only through the negotiations the solution acceptable for both sides can be found. It is clear that the sustainable solution of the status of Kosmet can only be found through negotiations under the auspices of UN, leading to a compromise, thus guaranteeing a long-term stability in the Balkans and other regions with similar problems, assessed Tadic, adding that the Security Council is the only institution with authority to make a legally right decision regarding Kosmet. The Serbian President pointed that the principled position of those three great countries are important for Serbia, the defense of its territorial integrity and sovereignty, as well as for the defense of the international law. After the talks with Foreign Ministers of India and China, held in Yekaterinburg, Russian Minister Sergey Lavrov has stated that those three countries are pledging for the renewal of Belgrade-Pristina negotiations on Kosmet.

May, 15 2008. 15:11

Chief of Serbian Army general Staff general Zdravko Ponos had talks in NATO head quarters in Brussels with his Spanish counterpart Felix Sans Roland, regarding the security situation in Kosmet. Ponos has conveyed to Roland the Serbian stance that KFOR troops in Kosmet should remain neutral and act within the competences defined in the UN Resolution 1244, stated the Serbian Ministry of Defense. Ponos repeated that KFOR should secure the peace and should not be involved with any activities relating to the self-proclaimed independence of the southern Serbian province. The Serbian Army Head has stated that Roland had said Spain would not change its stance on not recognizing the unilaterally proclaimed Kosmet independence.

May, 15 2008. 14:52

Representatives of political parties and coalitions are continuing the talks regarding the establishing of the new government and authorities in Belgrade. Leader of the Democratic Party and Serbian President Boris Tadic has stated that it is his duty to use democratic means in opposing the establishing of the government by the Serbian Radical Party and Democratic Party of Serbia. He assessed that such a government would stop the development of Serbia, and that its populist policy of conflicts and divisions would be against the interests of the Serbian people and state. On the other side, President of the Socialist Party of Serbia Ivica Dacic has stated that the negotiations with the Democratic Party of Serbia will be continued today, with discussion of basic principles for the establishing of the new government.

May, 15  2008. 14:31

Strategic priorities of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in Serbia are the corporate sector, infrastructure and finances, it has been stated in the report on Serbia, published in creditors’ web site, on the eve of the annual session in Kiev. In the corporate sector in Serbia, the EBRD has intention of continued provision of assets for the privatization and –post-privatization restructuring in local and foreign companies, with focus on the consolidation of big firms and their expansion plans. The EBRD points in its report to the slowing down of the privatization in Serbia. It is expected that the largest part of future investments will be in the traffic area, and with regards to the financial sector, the EBRD expects further consolidation of the banking system, so it will continue cooperating with banks on crediting lines for small and mid-sized companies.

May, 15  2008. 14:24

Serbian War Crimes Prosecutor Vladimir Vukcevic had talks with Hague Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz in Croatia, at the regional conference on the work of that prosecution. The Serbian Prosecution has communicated that Vukcevic talked with Brammertz about the implementation of the Action Plan for the completion of the cooperation with the Tribunal. At the conference of state prosecutors on the processing of war crimes in the region, Vukcevic has spoken about the analysis of the work on the cases received from the Hague Tribunal and Croatian Prosecution. He stressed that the Serbian Prosecution is in support of the action aimed at unified evidence of war crimes in the region, as according to him, it would be useful for further cooperation among the prosecution offices. Attending the conference are representatives of Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Montenegrin and Macedonian prosecutions, as well as Chief Hague Prosecutor Serge Brammertz.

May, 15 2008. 12:46

Russia, India and China are pledging for the renewal of the talks on Kosmet, between Belgrade and Pristina, in the international legal framework, as well as for the finding of an agreement between the two sides relating to that issue, stated Head of the Russian Diplomacy Sergey Lavrov, after the talks with his colleagues from India and China in Yekaterinburg. The three ministers have underlined that the unilateral proclamation of Kosmet independence from February 17 is in discord with the UN Security Council Resolution 1244.