Belgrade, 03. 03. 2008.

SERBIA

• KOSTUNICA: SERBIA RECOGNISES UNMIK MISSION, EULEKS ILLEGAL
• KOSTUNICA: POLICE COMMAND IS UNDER MUP STATE SECRETARY
• KOSTUNICA: VIOLENCE DAMAGES SERBIA, HELPS ITS ENEMIES
• KOSTUNICA: SERBIA IN EU ONLY WITH KOSOVO
• KOSTUNICA CONGRATULATES MEDVEDEV
• DULIC: PARLIAMENT MIGHT DEBATE ACTION PLAN FOR ON MARCH 5
• DJELIC: KOSOVO'S DEBT SHOULD BE REGULATED WITH CREDITORS
• DJELIC: SERBIA STABLE, DOES NOT WANT SELF ISOLATION
• DJELIC: NOT ENOUGH POLICE IN FRONT OF EMBASSIES
• DJELIC: GOVERNMENT GOALS REMAIN UNCHANGED
• JEREMIC SENDS PROTEST LETTER TO BAN KI-MOON OVER ISG
• AMBASSADOR VELIKIC DELIVERS PROTEST NOTE TO VIENNA
• DINKIC: FOREIGN INVESTMENTS IN SERBIA TOTAL 13.5 BILLION $
• DINKIC: SERBIA HAS GREATER ECONOMIC SOVEREIGNTY IN KOSOVO NOW
• DINKIC: EARLY PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IF DSS IS AGAINST EU
• DINKIC: FATE OF GOVT. WILL BE KNOWN IN THE SPRING
• DINKIC ON POTENTIALS FOR REAL ESTATE INVESTMENTS IN SERBIA
• SAMARDZIC: MINISTERS MUST NOT SPEAK CONTRARY TO GOV. POLICY
• SAMARDZIC: FEITH'S STATEMENTS NOT BINDING FOR SERBIA & SERBS
• SAMARDZIC: SERBIA TO RESUME SPREADING FUNCTIONS IN KOSMET
• PETROVIC: PUBLIC PEACE AND ORDER ARE STATE PRIORITY

• EU PRESENTS PROTEST NOTE TO SERBIA
• BILDT INVITES SERBIA NOT TO WITHDRAW TO ISOLATION
• BARROSO: UN SC WAS NOT ABLE TO RESOLVE KOSOVO STATUS

• ROMANIAN AMBASSADOR: KOSOVO INDEPENDENCE UNACCEPTABLE
• FEITH: NO CANTONS OR AUTONOMY FOR NORTHERN KOSOVO
• MOSCOW: ALL SHOULD BE DONE TO ANNUL KOSOVO INDEPENCE DECISION
• MOSCOW: ISG INTENDS TO ASSUME UN JURISDICTIONS
• TOPOLANEK: RECOGNITION OF KOSOVO, ALONG WITH SOME CONDITIONS
• KOUCHNER ON INDEPENDENCE OF KOSOVO
• MUNTER: GOVT DID NOT ORDER POLICE TO PROTECT U.S. EMBASSY

BELGRADE, Feb 29 (Tanjug) - Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica that Serbia recognized in Kosovo only UNMIK, and that the Euleks mission was illegal. "The legality that is preserved in Kosovo and Metohija is contained in Res 1244 and in the UNMIK civilian mission ensuing from the resolution." Kostunica said. The prime minister assessed that only the UNMIK Mission is based in law while everything else is illegal for Serbia and it will oppose it. Responding to a question about the sending of the EU Euleks mission to Kosovo, Kostunica said that Serbia would urge that the UNMIK mission functions in the province, in keeping with Res 1244, and that it is strengthened and expanded. "The EU mission is illegal for Serbia," the Serbian prime minister emphasised. Commenting on the assessment by Economy and Regional development Minister Mladjan Dinkic that Serbia should not be paying Kosovo's debt , Kostunica said that the statement was "expected." "What is important is that Serbia has its constitution, under which Kosovo and Metohija is an integral part of Serbia, the policy of all Serbian institutions - state negotiating team, Serbia's president, the Assembly and the government, apparently differs from what Minister Dinkic is saying," Kostunica said.

BELGRADE, Feb 29 (Tanjug) - Serbian Prime Minister Kostunica stated that in the absence of the minister of the interior, the entire police structure is under the command of the state secretary of the Interior Ministry (MUP). MUP State Secretary Mirjana Orasanin, who has lately been making statements on media speculations about the conclusions of the National Security Council session. Interior Minister Dragan Jocic is undergoing medical treatment since his car accident on Jan 25. Responding to journalists' questions, Kostunica recalled that members of the National Security Council had unanimously commended the police conduct during the riots that broke out following the mass protest rally "Kosovo Is Serbia" staged on Feb 21. "We have naturally all condemned the violence. Of course, we concluded that violence is something that does the most damage to Serbia's state interests and is only of use to our enemies, including those who want seize Kosovo," underscored.

BELGRADE, Feb 29 (Tanjug) - Serbian Prime Minister Kostunica said that Serbia will peacefully continue to fight for returning Kosovo-Metohija under its constitutional order and that any resort to violence damages Belgrade's efforts, and helps "enemies who want to take away Kosovo." We will continue to fight the way we did so far, by peaceful means, non-violence, because those who tried to take away Kosovo-Metohija from us on February 17 resorted to violence. To their violence we will respond with non-violence, said Kostunica, who in the center of Belgrade handed out "Kosovo is Serbia" badges to citizens. He pointed out that this message will in the years to come lead to the invalidation of the injustice which was made to Serbia. "The message 'Kosovo is Serbia' is an undeniable truth. That is the truth which lasts for centuries, and truths which last through centuries cannot be denied. At the same time this is the leading idea of the state policy in the past years and in the years to come because we will have to be very patient if we want to return Kosovo in the constitutional order of Serbia," Kostunica said. Referring to the unrests which broke out in Belgrade after the February 21 rally held under the motto Kosovo is Serbia, Kostunica said that the police intervened "in a proper and timely manner."

BELGRADE, March 1 (Tanjug) - Serbian Premier Kostunica told that "we should not be divided over the issue of joining the EU, rather, it is best and necessary to be united and tell the EU that it can only count on a Serbia with Kosovo, as its province, becoming its member." "Instead of being divided over the issue of EU membership, it is of utmost importance that as a state and nation we clearly and in a united manner define our goal, this being that only a unified Serbia can be a member of three, for us, major international organizations: the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the European Union," Kostunica said. He stated that the huge majority of citizens and most parliamentary parties back a unified state and national policy, according to which Kosovo and Metohija is an integral and inalienable part of this country. As a entire state, Serbia is a member of the UN and a sham state of Kosovo will absolutely never be admitted to the UN, siad Kostunica, recalling that an entire Serbia is also a OSCE member and "this is why the sham state of Kosovo will also never be in the OSCE." "In keeping with such a united state and national policy, an entire Serbia, together with Kosovo and Metohija, can be a member of the EU. We want to join the EU, but the EU should say that it wants an entire Serbia in its ranks, not a fragmented Serbia," Kostunica underscored.

BELGRADE, March 3 (Tanjug) - Serbian Prime Minister Kostunica congratulated late on Sunday Dmitry Medvedev on his victory in Russia's presidential elections. Please receive my most sincere and friendly congratulations on the occasion of your great victory in the elections for the president of the Russian Federation, it is specified in the message of congratulations. The Russian people have expressed their free will in the democratic elections, and with their votes, they have given their full support to the clear and principled policy based on Russia's overall progress, Kostunica wrote in the message. Your victory will enable a continuation of Russia's impressive economic development and a further reconstruction of your big country, the message specifies. With is principled policy, Russia has become the protector of the basic principles of international law which the world's peace and stability rest upon, the Serbian prime minister said. Congratulating you on your great victory in the elections, I would also like to wish you a lot of success in performing the responsible duty of Russian president, Prime Minister Kostunica wrote in the message.

BELGRADE, Feb 29 (Tanjug) - Serbian parliament Speaker Oliver Dulic said Friday that the government's action plan for Kosovo might be debated on Wednesday, March 5, when the regular parliament session is due to start. The government has not yet requested a debate on the plan, he said, but expressed his conviction that it should be presented to the MP's Dulic said he has conferred with Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica and that a decision should be taken in a few days in what form the plan will be presented. If the plan is confidential, it will be presented to the parliament at a session behind closed doors, he said. Dulic believes that the parliament should hold several debates on Kosovo in a near future.

BELGRADE, Feb 29 (Tanjug) - Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic on Friday said that Serbia should stop paying back Kosovo's debt in an agreement with creditors, but in a way in which it would not indirectly recognize independence of Kosovo. Djelic recalled that Serbia has not been collecting taxes from that part of its territory for the past 10 years, which is why a solution should be found to have those who collect taxes pay the debt. I have had contacts with finance ministries of the countries the debt is paid to and I expect that we shall find a solution in the coming months, without major media effects and disputes within the coalition, said Djelic, adding that this is in the interest of both our country and our creditors.

BELGRADE, Feb 29 (Tanjug) - Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Djelic said that the part of the government in charge of the economy would hold a meeting on March 3 with representatives of all parties in the ruling coalition, of the Chamber of Commerce, Foreign Investors Council and Association of Banks from which they will send a message that Serbia is stable and that it will not go into self-isolation. Djelic said that all relevant world credit rating agencies, which are constantly checking political and economic risks in our country, had issued new assessments and confirmed Serbia's credit rating. Talking to reporters, following the CSR Award giving ceremony to socially responsible enterprises, said that Serbia would continue to advance on the path of European integrations and that planned reforms would be carried out, including all the planned privatisations. According to Djelic, the Serbian government's goals are nevertheless a six percent growth for this year, direct foreign investments worth three billion euros, candidacy status for entering the European Union by the end of the year and the lifting of visas for our citizens. The deputy prime minister underlined that all government members were maintaining direct contact with investors, who have expressed an intention to come to Serbia, are they are extending all the relevant information to help perspective investors.

BEOGRAD, Feb. 29 (Beta)- Deputy Prime Minister Djelic has assessed that in front of the U.S. and Croatian embassies, which were the targets of hooligans on Feb. 21, there were not sufficient numbers of police."I want to thank the police who had a difficult task that day, but we cannot be satisfied with the fact that there weren't enough police in front of the embassies which we all could have guessed would be subject to attack," he said in interview in the Blic. To the question who was responsible for that, he said that this was the reason for the meeting of the Council for National Security and added that in the future it is most important that such violence be avoided. Commenting on the current situation in the Serbian government, he underscored that the Democratic Party would participate in the government only if it operates on the basis of all five priorities, among which is integration into the EU.Not for a moment has Serbia ceased to work on European integration, he said and added that on Feb. 26 two meetings had been held within the framework of the Enhanced Permanent Dialogue project, that negotiations on eliminating travel visas had been scheduled for next week, and that from March 10 to 14 representatives of the EC would be arriving to assess the progress that has been made in the reform of the judiciary, security and human rights.

BELGRADE, March 1 (Tanjug) -Deputy Premier Djelic has said that the government's goals remain unchanged: EU candidate status for Serbia by the end of 2008, that visas are abolished and that it bids for EU structural funds." Djelic told Saturday's issue of Belgrade daily Blic that 'the policy of self-isolation would lead to a state of hopelessness," adding that "those who believe that Kosovo will be defended better by halting talks and relations with the EU, are not offerring any alternative." Djelic stated that the Democratic Party will "participate in this government only if it is engaged on all five priorities, including EU integrations." "The EU has neither the capacity to recognize, nor has it recognized, the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo. It is its individual members who have done so. Serbia will never trade with Kosovo, but it will also never give up stability and its future," Djelic set out. "Serbia's policy is both Kosovo and Europe. We should consider the future of all our citizens, both in Strpce, Subotica and in Toronto," Djelic underscored.

BELGRADE, Feb 29 (Tanjug) - Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic on Friday sent a letter to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon with which the Republic of Serbia formally protests over the setting up of the International Steering Group (ISG) for Kosovo and Metohija in Vienna on Thursday. Jeremic pointed out that the setting up of the group was an illegal act, outside the mandate of the UN Security Council, underscoring that this is a completely unacceptable act to Serbia, and that it is clear that its setting up is an obvious intention to avoid the UN Security Council and Resolution 1244 and to make the role of the UNMIK mission, as the only fully legitimate body in Kosovo-Metohija pointless, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in its statement. Minister Jeremic reiterated that Serbia had never agreed to the establishment of the European Union mission EULEX in Kosovo-Metohija, and that the official Belgrade is opposed to a transfer of any competencies from UNMIK to EULEX. The UN Security Council is the only legitimate authority that may establish international presence in Kosovo-Metohija, Minister Jeremic concluded in his letter to Ban Ki-moon.

VIENNA, Feb 29 (Tanjug) - Serbia's Ambassador in Austria Dragan Velikic handed over on Friday to Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik a protest note from Belgrade after official Vienna resognised on Thursday the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo. "I have fulfilled my diplomatic duty. I handed over the protest note and conferred with Minister Plassnik and Foreign Ministry Director General Mayer-Harting," said Ambassador Velikic who was withdrawn from Vienna for consultations in Belgrade because of the recognition of Kosovo by Austria. "Collocutors have told me that Austria would continue to support Serbia, because our country's place is in Europe. They also told me that Austria is Serbia's friend and that it wants to help our country get into the EU as soon as possible," Velikic told foreign reporters on his way out of the Austrian Foreign Ministry building. Velikic explained that at the moment Kosovo was Serbia's biggest problem and that because of Austria's decision to recognise the independence of the southern Serbian province he handed over, in keeping with the Serbian Action Plan, a protest note and was leaving Vienna for consultations.

BELGRADE, Feb 29 (Tanjug) - The total influx of foreign direct investments in Serbia between 2000 and 2007 amounted to 13.5 billion dollars and this growth will have to continue in future in order to reduce the unemployment rate, increase salaries and GDP, Serbian Minister of Economy and Regional Development Mladjan Dinkic said on Thursday. Stressing that the government would give full legal security to all foreign investors who wanted to invest in Serbia, he said that Serbia needed between three and five billion dollars of foreign investments per year in order to achieve big economic growth rates of between six and seven percent. "Austria tops the list of foreign investors in Serbia with about two billion dollars, it is followed by Germany and Greece with about 1.6 billion dolars and by Norway, United States, Slovenia, Italy, France, Great Britain, etc.," Dinkic said.

BELGRADE, Feb 29 (Tanjug) - Minister of Economy and Regional Development Dinkic said on Friday that currently Serbia has greater economic sovereignty in the part of Kosovo populated by Serbs than it had in the last ten years. He said that prior to Feb 17 no socially owned enterprise from Kosovo received any subsidies and that they were getting them now. "Companies in Kosovo did not have economic programs either, and there is no longer a custom post at Jarinje," Dinikic said at a press conference. Responding to a journalist's question whether the Serbian government was surviving only on account of Kosovo, Dinkic assessed that "the government will work for as long as it has good results and in the interest of the citizens of Serbia." "We will see what the coming months hold in store," he said and added that "now we have to at least achieve a minimum of unity." "Everyone agreed that we have to help Serbs in Kosovo and in this respect there was no disagreement whatsoever," Dinkic pointed out.

BELGRADE, March 3 (Tanjug) - Minister of Economy and Regional Development, Dinkic, said late on Sunday that in case that the Democratic Party of Serbia "persists in denying Serbia's European integration," early parliamentary elections should be called. "If they do not want the European Union and if they oppose the ratification of the SAA, we should sit together and in peace reach an agreement on early parliamentary elections," Dinkic said in a broadcast by TV B92. He said that "at the elections, we should ask the people whether they are for joining the EU and the signing for the SAA," and that if a majority of citizens opted for this, a "new parliamentary majority should be set up."

BEOGRAD, March 3 (Beta)-Minister of Economy Dinkic has said that in the spring it will be known whether the Serbian government will survive or snap elections must be held.In an interview in the March 3 issue of the Blic daily, he said that the Serbian government cannot be of long duration if the present enormous differences in outlooks on the future of the country are not bridged and he assessed that in the governing coalition "the question of European integration would again very quickly be in the foreground." "G17 Plus has no dilemma about that. We want Serbia to enter the EU as soon as possible, because too much time has already been lost in failed projects of the socalled heavenly Serbia," he said. Dinkic, who is in favor of Serbia ceasing to service Kosovo's debt, said that it is realistic to expect that a writeoff of Kosovo's debt will be achieved and he assessed that this will surely happen."I spoke with President Tadic and he showed full understanding for my initiative. Today I will speak about that also with a delegation from the World Bank that is staying in Belgrade this week, considering that this is a creditor on whom half of Kosovo's debt falls," he stated.

BELGRADE, March 3 (Tanjug) - Minister of Economy and Regional Development Dinkic assessed on Monday that the real estate market in Serbia would make exceptional progress in the following period and that great potentials lay in real estate investments during the process of privatisation. He told a Conference on Real Estate Market in South East Europe, which is for the third time now being held in Belgrade, that the Serbian real estate market was attractive and that exceptionally huge potentials lay in real estate investments in the privatisation process. The minister said that direct foreign investments were also increasing and that "in case that it continues its path towards the EU and open economy, investments would amount to somewhere between three to five billion euros, part of which would be used for the real estate sector." He underlined that building industry should be encouraged not only in Belgrade and Novi Sad, but in other parts of Serbia as well. Dinkic said that only in 2007, a total of 7,000 flats had been built, which is three times as five years ago, adding, however, that the demand for flats was rather big and that some 100,000 appartments were required presently.

BELGRADE, Feb 29 (Tanjug) - Minister for Kosovo and Metohija Slobodan Samardzic on Friday stated that when it comes to the issue of Serbia's foreign debt regarding its southern province, some ministers should not make statements that are contrary to the government policy. "I would recommend ministers not to speak in public about this topic for as long as the topic needs to be placed before the government and, if necessary, reconsidered by the government. So, there is no need to discuss in public something that is clear when it comes to the state position," Samardzic told Tanjug. The state's stand on the issue is formulated in the position of Serbia's negotiating team, which was defended during the talks on the future status of Kosovo and Metohija, said Samardzic. According to Samardzic, the first phase of the talks in particular was dedicated on the issue, and there is an annex to Ahtisaari's plan, to which the Serbian negotiating team had tabled a number of amendments defining the stand of the Serbian state on that issue.

BELGRADE, March 2 (Tanjug) - Serbian Kosovo and Metohija Minister Slobodan Samardzic said Sunday that the statements and stands of EU special representative in Kosovo Pieter Feith are in no way binding for the Serbian government or for the Serbs living in the province. "Feith's mission has no legal basis in the international law and he is well aware of that. His statements have a private character and, in any case, they have no binding power either for Serbia, or for the Serbs living in Kosovo and Metohija," Samardzic told Tanjug. Samardzic was speaking in reaction to statements by Feith to the Albanian-language paper Koha Ditore that the Serbian community in northern Kosovo will not have any special status compared to the larger part of the province and that Belgade's financial aid to the Serbs in Kosovo, if necessary, will be allowed "with the full respect of the Kosovo government and Kosovo's territorial integrity." Samardzic said that Feith's statements are groundless and cannot be taken seriously. "This is how matters stand at present and how they will remain until Feith and his mission withdraw from Kosovo and Metohija," Samardzic set out.

BELGRADE, March 2 (Tanjug) - Serbian Kosovo and Metohija Minister Slobodan Samardzic said Sunday that, regardless of the unilateral declaration of the independence of Kosovo and Metohija and the support of some countries for this, Serbia would continue strengthening and spreading its functions in the province, at the same time defending its citizens. Two weeks after the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo, Samardzic told Tanjug that "this act of the violation of the international and domestic laws was backed by some countries which recognized, to their historic disgrace, the independence of Kosovo." "In such a situation, for Serbia there is no other option but to defend its state and national interests. Serbia, via its state documents and state policy, has definitively opted for that," Samardzic stated. He said that Serbia's fundamental position is to defend its citizens in Kosovo and Metohija. "This is why Serbia will continue strengthening and spreading its functions in Kosmet in all parts populated by its loyal citizens," Samardzic pointed out. He added that for such a policy in Kosmet, Serbia expects the understanding and help of countries and international organizations which advoacte the salvation and preservation of international law. "In the future, this will be Serbia's basic criteria for its relations with countries and international organizations in Europe and worldwide," Samardzic stated.

BELGRADE, Feb 29 (Tanjug) - Justice Minister Dusan Petrovic on Friday said that the Serbian government has a clear political stand according to which maintenance of public peace and order, as well as security, is of priority for the state. "All state organs are at present committed to achieving that goal," Petrovic told reporters, adding that he could not speak about the meeting of the National Security Council, called by Serbian President Boris Tadic on Tuesday. There is no dilemma that the state will not allow setting up of any kind of paramilitary formations or institutions with power of force which are not state, and it will be controlled by all means, said Petrovic. Underscoring that the current situation in Serbia is safe and stable, the justice minister said that the competent state organs will secure public peace and order and that the citizens may count with that. Petrovic said that he expects the situation in Serbia to improve and get more stable every day, because the state is on a good path to get out of an extraordinary situation in a relatively short period of time.

BELGRADE, Feb 29 (Tanjug) - Slovenian Ambassador to Belgrade Miroslav Luci and a representative of the European Commission to Belgrade presented Friday to the Serbian Foreign Ministry a protest note against the recent attacks on several embassies of European Union member-states, Tanjug learned from EU diplomatic sources. The note expresses EU concern over inadequate protection of embassies and condemns the violence which led to loss of life, endangered personnel safety and caused material damage. The EU reminds the Serbian government that it must secure the safety of foreign missions and their personnel in its territory and requests protection also of EU nationals and companies and their property. The EU also condemns the attacks at checkpoints on the administrarive boundary between Serbia and Kosovo and requests that the Serbian government use its influence and publicly condemn violence and incidents, the note says.

BUCHAREST, Feb 29 (Tanjug) - Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt on Friday invited Serbia not to withdraw to isolation in revolt over the decision of numerous European states to recognise Kosovo's independence and voiced his hope that Belgrade would continue its dialogue with the European Union. If would be a pity if Serbia sank into international isolation or self-isolation, Bildt said after a meeting in Bucharest with Romanian Foreign Minister Adrian Cioroianu. Bildt said that the EU-Serbian dialogue was important and that it should continue despite disagreements on Kosovo, which he said would not be solved soon. He said that though he understood Belgrade's stand, he hoped that the dialogue would continue and that the EU offer was still on the table.

VIENNA, March 3 (Tanjug) - President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso has assessed that it was the UN Security Council, rather than the European Union that was unable to resolve the Kosovo issue. The European Union has proved that it is ready and capable of being in charge of the process of stabilisation in the West Balkans and of making the resolution of (Kosovo) status easier, Barroso underlined in an interview for the Vienna daily Die Presse. This is great progress, comparing with the role the EU had in the Balkans in the 90s, he added. At the same time, the president of the European Commission pointed out that the recognition of (Kosovo) independence was a national matter. The EU has no jurisdictions at its disposal as far as this issue is concerned, which has made the countries free to recognise or not recognise Kosovo, Barroso concluded.

BELGRADE, Feb 29 (Tanjug) - Romanian Ambassador to Serbia Ion Macovei said Friday that his country remains firm in its stand that the unilateral declaration of Kosovo independence is unacceptable and that it violates international law. He emphasized that he sees no reason for Romania to change its stand, despite being a member of the European Union and NATO, because international law must be respected. Macovei told B92 TV that Serbia must continue the process of integration in the EU, regardless of the current detrioration of its relations with the EU over Kosovo. He expressed his conviction that Serbia will eventually choose the European path, adding that Romania is ready to help it achieve this goal. Romania and a stable Serbia can do much together, he added.

Pristina, Feb. 29 (Beta)-The EU Special Representative for Kosovo Pieter Feith said that Serbs in northern Kosovo will not get cantons or autonomy.That is not envisaged, and I have never discussed it with the Kosovo government. That is not the aim of the International Steering Group for Kosovo, and it is not a part of our plan. Our agenda envisages giving Serbs special relations, including the transfer of funds for Serbs here from Belgrade, if necessary, Feith stated for the March 2 issue of the Pristina daily Koha Ditore. He stressed that the special relations may only be established with full respect for the Kosovo government and Kosovo's territorial integrity. He announced that, as the EU special representative, he will allow the formation of the Kosovo Foreign Ministry. In Pristina on Feb. 29, after meeting with Kosovo Premier Hashim Thaci, Feith stated that Serbian authorities are trying to sever the connections between the Albanian majority and the Serbian minority in Kosovo, which might lead to divisions. Kosovo Premier Hashim Thaci said that parallel institutions in Kosovo will not be allowed, and that citizens may address the Kosovo institutions. He assessed that the safety situation is fully under control, that there are some reactions, which is comprehensible, but that everything is going in accordance with the agenda planned by local and international institutions.

BELGRADE, March 2 (Tanjug) - Russian Ambassador to Serbia Alexander Alekseev said Sunday that his country, which assumes the presidency of the UN Security Council in March, will do "everything possible that the totally wrong decision" on the unilateral declaration of the independence of Kosovo and its recognition, are annulled. We should use all our capabilities to prevent the legal violence that is taking place in Kosovo, and the UN Security Council has primarily a huge responsibililty for this, Alekseev told reporters after casting his ballot for today's presidential election at the polling station in the embassy of the Russian Federation in Belgrade. Alekseev expressed belief that Russia, which has announced that Kosovo and Metohija would be one of its priorities during its UN Security Council presidency, will have good contacts and cooperation with Serbia's mission in the UN New York headquarters. Asked by Tanjug how Russia would rise the issue of Kosmet in the Security Council in March, Alekseev said that Moscow would decide about this with its friends in Serbia. We are in good contact and you can be certain that every step of Russia and Serbia will be well organized, the Russian ambassador said.

MOSCOW, March 3 (Tanjug) - The setting up of the International Steering Group for Kosovo (ISG) is in contradiction with UN Security Council Res 1244 and the international community's harmonised principles on the settlement of the Kosovo issue, and it is in the interest of only those countries that have already recognised or are planning to recognise the province's independence, official Moscow assessed on Monday. Pointing out that because of all that, the ISG did not express the stand of the entire international community, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin said that the ISG had announced as its goal the offering of assistance to Pristine in realising its unilaterally proclaimed independence in keeping with the so-called (Martti) Ahtisaari plan. This plan, as Kamynin underlined, has not been approved by the UN Security Council and it cannot represent a basis for the resolution of the Kosovo status. According to him, the setting up of ISG is but an arbitrary introduction of a structure which, although it lacks grounds for something like that, has the intention of assuming the jurisdictions of the UN and its Security Council.

PRAGUE, March 3 (Tanjug) - The Czech Republic will not hurry with a decision to recognise the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo, because some conditions need to be met first, Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek told Czech television CT. Kosovo independence can be recognized only if guarantees exist for the rule of law, the protection of minorities and of the cultural heritage and if global and Euroatalantic forces are in place to keep order, Ceske Noviny quoted Topolek as saying. The Czech Prime Minister added that the case was sensitive, the discussions complicated and that the government would not discuss it this week, and that once on the agenda, in his view, the relationship of the Czech Republic with Serbia will be taken into consideration, on the one side, and with Kosovo, on the other. There is no rush to take a decision on the recognition of the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo and the position of the Czech Republic is not expected to additionally raise tensions in the region, Topolanek pointed out.

PARIS, Mar 3 (Tanjug) - French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner on Monday stated that Kosovo's independence is being carried out in a good way and that there was no other solution. "The situation is not that bad," Kouchner said in a statement with radio France Enter responding to a question on Kosovo's independence. For Kouchner, the fact that Slovenia is the first country to break away from the Yugoslav federation and which is now presiding the European Union, and thus enables and organizes independence of the last part (of the federation), i.e. Kosovo, is a rather nice parable. "I am thinking of my Serb friends who are torn now, but we could not maintain the situation like the one that has been existing in Cyprus for the past 30 years either with U.N. or NATO troops or anything else you want, underscored Kouchner. Kouchner believes that a solution is to have Serbia and Kosovo part of the EU. "That is obvious for Serbia, we have suggested that a long time ago, and as far as Kosovo is concerned, it is yet to be seen, the time is still not right," said Kouchner.

Zrenjanin, March 2 (Beta)-U.S. Ambassador to Serbia Cameron Munter accused the Serbian government of failing to order the police to protect the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade during the riots that took place after the rally "Kosovo Is Serbia" on Feb. 21. We are encouraged by the government's promises that this will not happen again, but because of the previous time and the government's stand it is understandable that I am a little skeptical, Munter told Zrenjanin based KTV. Munter said that since the U.S. recognized the unilateral proclamation of Kosovo's independence, he has not been allowed contact with the ministers and state secretaries in the Serbian government. The U.S. ambassador called on the government to dissociate itself from the statements of ministers Ilic and Samardzic, assessing that an atmosphere is being created in Serbia by irresponsible politicians, with some ministers saying things that encourage violence. Munter said that he has no intention of abandoning Serbia and that the U.S. is not setting any limitations on contacts with Serbs, and added that in the U.S. Embassy in Serbia they were devoted to helping Serbia on its European path. "If the ministers and state secretaries decide not to communicate with me, that will only slow down the process of extending our assistance," Munter said.