Belgrade, 04. 03. 2008.

THE SEVENTH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL

• JEREMIC SAYS HUMAN RIGHTS IN SERBIA ARE AT HIGH LEVEL
• JEREMIC: UN SEC.GEN. UPHOLDS RESOLUTION 1244
• JEREMIC CONTINUES HIS VISIT TO GENEVA

• TADIC CONGRATULATES MEDVEDEV VICTORY
• KOSTUNICA CALLS ON UNITY OF PARLIAMENTARY PARTIES
• DJELIC: GOVERNMENT WILL PROVIDE STABILITY FOR INVESTORS
• DJELIC: START PUTTING INTO PRACTICE SAA
• CVETKOVIC: SERBIAN GOVERNMENT SENDS OUT FAVORABLE MESSAGES
• SUTANOVAC & EIDE DISCUSS KOSOVO-METOHIJA
• SARANCIC: SERBIAN RAILWAYS MANAGES ITS PROPERTY IN KIM
• SAHOVIC: RELATIONS WITH NEIGHBORS SERIOUSLY TESTED
• WORLD BANK REGIONAL COORDINATOR IN BELGRADE
• SERBIA & INDIA TO COOPERATE IN DEFENCE, SPECIAL INDUSTRY

• LONCAR: SERBIA INTEGRAL PART OF EUROPE
• BRAMMERTZ SAYS ICTY PRIORITY: MLADIC AND PRESSURE ON SERBIA
• SCHEFFER: NATO WANTS RELATIONS WITH SERBIA TO REMAIN OPEN

• FICO: KOSOVO INDEPENDENCE VIOLATION OF INTERNATIONAL LAW
• FAITH SAYS SERBIA SHOULD STOP REPAYING KOSOVO DEBT
• RAILWAYS IN NORTHERN KOSOVO WITHIN UNMIK, SAYS OFFICIAL
• RUSSIA WILL NOT TOLERATE ANY IMPROVIZATIONS ON KOSOVO
• US SENATOR OBAMA URGES PEACE, STABILITY IN KOSOVO
• JAKOVENKO: KOSOVO ISSUE IS STILL ON UNSC AGENDA
• ROGOZIN: KOSOVO SERBS MUST NOT ALLOW TO GET PROVOKED

GENEVA, March 3 (Tanjug) - Serbian Foreign minister Vuk Jeremic said in Geneva on Monday that Serbia had achieve huge progress in the observation of human rights since 2000, but that UN-administrated province of Kosovo stood in contrast to this situation because the vulnerable were simply forgotten there. Addressing the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Jeremic said "I am honored to address this esteemed body of the United Nations system - the system that in today's tumultuous world is still the crucible of human hope for peace and security, the focal point of international trust, and the center of our confidence in the coming of a future that aligns our universal values with our national interests. "I am privileged to represent a country - the Republic of Serbia - that believes, with firmness of spirit and strength of conviction, in the principles that have brought us here, in this jubilee year of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to celebrate and reflect on the central place of human rights in the world today. "Human rights are essential for achieving the progressive, peaceful development of mankind. They enable us to embrace the global diversity of views that makes us stronger as a world community, on the basis of equality and mutual respect. And they endow us with the ability to promote not only the peaceful resolution of disputes, but the reconciliation of peoples throughout the world. "That is why the Republic of Serbia will make a voluntary contribution, in line with our financial capabilities, to the budget of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. "The struggle to instill a sense of respect and obligation on all states and all individuals to promote human rights throughout the world stands at the very peak of mankind's 20th century achievements. It is our duty to ourselves as human beings to continue to nobly strive to improve our record in the 21st century. And to re-dedicate ourselves, as members of the human family, to the respect for human rights with a determined, committed steadfastness of purpose. "To do anything else would be to deny the judgment of humanity that says, the world is, on the whole, a better place today than it has ever been before, full of the possibility that comes with a secure knowledge that our destiny is inexorably tied to one another's. "As a sign of our bedrock commitment to the respect for, and advancement of, human rights throughout the world, the Republic of Serbia has declared itself a candidate for the Human Rights Council for the period of 2008 to 2011, to be decided by a vote in the General Assembly in May of this year. "I would like to take this opportunity to express that, should Serbia be elected to the Council, we would dedicate ourselves to contribute to strengthening even further the Council's effectiveness, with a particular focus on enhancing the respect for human rights in an ever more complex and diverse global community of nations, cultures, and religious traditions. "The democratic Government of the Republic of Serbia is proud of its record as a central pillar of human rights protection in Southeast Europe. Since the peaceful overthrow of the regime of Slobodan Milosevic in October 2000, we have made tremendous achievements on the human rights front. "This year alone, the Republic of Serbia will report to the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Committee Against Torture, and, in December, will present a comprehensive report to the Human Rights Council, consistent with the new procedures of the Universal Periodic Review. "Moreover, during this Session of the Human Rights Council, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Human Rights Defenders will present what we confidently believe will be a positive report on her September 2007 visit to my country. "The stellar state of human rights in Serbia does not mean that there are no more challenges. But it indicates a unified national conviction to face every obstacle head on, to engage the issues forthrightly, to solve problems constructively, and to achieve results concretely. "This is not mere lip-service. We speak clearly, but we also act clearly. Our deeds match our words. "Before proceeding to the next portion of my remarks, I wish to highlight the human rights record of the northern Serbian province of Vojvodina that has been aptly termed "Europe in miniature." It is a place of toleration and integration that took in more than a quarter of a million refugees from the civil wars in Croatia and Bosnia during the 1990s. "And it is a safe bastion of prosperity in which more than 25 ethnic communities live harmoniously together, not just side by side: Serbs, Hungarians, Slovaks, Croats, Romanians, Roma, Slovenians, Albanians and more than a dozen other ethnic groups populate this region, lending weight to the truth that identity is not the simple result of a unification of likeness; it requires the offering and accepting of the gift of difference. "That is why I am proud of Serbia's dedication to press forward our promotion of cultural diversity, the handmaiden of human rights protection. We believe diversity to be a source of strength, and we embrace the view that individual cultures genuinely prosper and progress when they come into contact with others. "But all is not well on the human rights front in the Republic of Serbia. "Standing in stark contrast to the record of those areas covered under the direct jurisdiction of our Government institutions, the state of human rights in our southern province of Kosovo and Metohija, currently under United Nations administration, is dismal. "Kosovo is a place where the vulnerable have simply been forgotten. "In the wake of the arrival of the UN and NATO in June 1999 after a 78-day bombing campaign, hundreds of thousands of Kosovo Serbs, Roma, Bosniaks and others were ethnically cleansed from their centuries-old hearths. Hundreds have been killed, and thousands more have disappeared without a trace. Tens of thousands of homes and businesses have been destroyed, and tens of thousands more have been illegally occupied by ethnic Albanians. "The UN Committee on Human Rights has harshly criticized the lack of human rights protection in Kosovo, concluding that "discrimination against Serbs and Roma is widespread in Kosovo." Amnesty International has echoed those words. And in a report issued just a few days ago, Human Rights Watch said that "today, Kosovo is a place where human rights are frequently violated, where political violence, impunity for common and political crimes, intimidation and discrimination are commonplace. [.] Organized crime and corruption are largely unchecked, [.] witness harassment is widespread, [.] domestic violence is a serious and prevalent problem, [.] and trafficking of women remains a serious issue", as is forced prostitution. "Perhaps most appallingly, less than eight percent of the estimated 250,000 Kosovo Serb IDPs have returned to their homes, conceivably because the UNHCR warns that Kosovo Serbs, Roma and others risk persecution if they return to areas in which they would be in a minority. "It's also because for many displaced Serbs, security fears and deep concerns about freedom of movement, access to courts, employment, housing, healthcare, education and other public services impede return. "The litany of offences is endless; the remedial list of concrete steps taken is trivial. "Consider that hundreds of Serbian holy sites remain to this day under the heavy protection of NATO. Monks, nuns and priests live encircled by tanks, barbed wire, and electric fences. "More than 150 Serbian Orthodox monasteries and churches have been destroyed since June 1999 in wanton acts of cultural cleansing, including 35 in a three-day period in March 2004. "Let me pause for a moment on the significance of these living religious communities, and of Kosovo more generally, for the Serbian people. The Orthodox holy sites of Kosovo - some of which have been placed on UNESCO's List of World Heritage Sites, and alarmingly, on its List of World Heritage in Danger - stand at the foundation of Serbian identity. They are not simply buildings or mere monuments. They constitute an essential link to the living tradition of Serbia today. "The unilateral, illegal, and illegitimate declaration of independence of Kosovo's Assembly on February 17th from the Republic of Serbia has profoundly affected my country. For Kosovo is the essential link between our proud national past and our proud European future. "But that is not the only cause of the present apprehension throughout the region and around the world, caused by the illegal acts of the authorities in Pristina. As a result of the recognition by about twenty countries of the attempted secession of the Kosovo Albanians from Serbia, the innate operating logic of the international system has come under direct attack. "And I will tell you why. The United Nations Charter and Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999) places a binding obligation on all member-states to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all internationally recognized states, including the Republic of Serbia. "By furthering the secessionist cause of the Kosovo Albanians, the international system has become more unstable, more insecure, and more unpredictable. A terrible precedent has been established. "Recognizing the unilateral declaration of Kosovo's independence from Serbia legitimizes the doctrine of imposing solutions to ethnic conflicts. It legitimizes the act of unilateral secession by a provincial or other non-state actor. It transforms the right to self-determination into an avowed right to independence. It legitimizes the forced partition of internationally-recognized, sovereign states. And it supplies any ethnic or religious group with a grievance against its capital with a play book on how to achieve their ends. "I want to be very clear. We will never recognize the attempt by the authorities in Pristina to unilaterally secede from Serbia. We call upon the countries that have recognized to reconsider, and we call on those that have not to stay the course, to help us defend the international system from being fundamentally undermined. And we applaud the United Nations in so far resisting the pressure from a vocal minority of countries to cede the administration of Serbia's southern province to an illegitimate European Union mission, in clear violation of Security Council Resolution 1244. We hope that this will continue. Anything less would strike at the very heart of the core constituent elements of global governance. "We are here to talk about human rights. "So I would like to conclude my remarks to you this afternoon by telling you about a very special young woman from Kosovo. "Her name is Slobodanka Tasic. Born in 1992, she was 7 years old when the bombs began to fall on Serbia, in 1999. It was the year her father Sasa went missing. It was the year her ancestral home in the village of Strezovce was torched to the ground. And it was the year she and her mother became IDPs. "It was a terrible year. "Taking shelter in a neighboring village, Slobodanka and her family remained in Kosovo and Metohija. "They survived. "Slobodanka came to world attention late last year when she wrote a letter to President Boris Tadic of Serbia, a letter he read to the Security Council. "'As I write this letter to you, I feel like a leaf on a tree that does not know which way the wind will blow', the now fifteen year old wrote. "'My childhood is different from that of children who live in freedom. They have friends, but mine is fear. Fear of the early dawn; fear of the setting sun', she continued. "'And it is because of all the tears of children, because of all our pain, because of the early opened wounds that do not heal, Mr. President, that I implore you to transmit my message to the world. They have taken away our right to an innocent childhood; our right to live freely; our right to be happy. They have taken away the warmth of family life. Let them not take away our right to live even such a life as we have now: the right to live in our own country.' "Now they have tried to take even that away from her. For today Slobodanka no longer lives permanently in Kosovo. "For when her letter was read by President Tadic, her family was forced to flee by Kosovo Albanians. "They told her mother, 'remember what happened to your husband.' "It was all too much for the family of a young Serbian woman from Kosovo, for the Anne Frank of the Balkans, to take. Nevertheless, she is still drawn to her birthplace, moving back and forth from the safety of Serbia proper to the danger of a Kosovo ruled by secessionists. "This is the reality of Kosovo today. A dark, ugly reality that sits in the heart of Europe. "Such is the reality that some have chosen to reward with recognition. "But I tell you in the name of the Republic of Serbia that we will never recognize an independent Kosovo. And we will employ all diplomatic and political means at our disposal to hinder, obstruct and ultimately reverse the unilateral, illegal and illegitimate declaration of independence of our southern province. "This is no temporary policy. We are not just posturing. It is a part of a national strategy to keep Serbia whole and free, fully integrated into Europe, and actively engaged with the world. "And we will pursue it for as long as our country itself survives. "Kosovo shall remain a part of Serbia forever," Jeremic said in his address.

GENEVA, Mar 3 (Tanjug) - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon confirmed Monday in Geneva that the UN Security Council Resolution 1244 remains in effect as far as the UN is concerned and that its mission in Kosovo will continue to exercize its mandate in keeping with that resolution, Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic told Tanjug. Jeremic said he conveyed to Ban Serbia's firm stand that Resolution 1244 remains in effect and that only institutions envisaged in this document are valid. He also insisted that Ban urge his special representative in Kosovo Joachim Ruecker to immediately cease transfering his powers to EULEX or any other body outside the Resolution 1244 framework. Ban confirmed that Resolution 1244 remains in effect, that the UN fully abides by its provisions and that UNMIK will continue to exercize its mandate accordingly, Jeremic said. He also asked Ban's support to preventing integration of the so-called state of Kosovo in any international bodies over which he has jurisdiction. Jeremic also pointed to instability in the region created as a consequence of the declaration of Kosovo independence and emphasized that Belgrade and Pristina must resume negotiations as the only way of reaching a stable and lasting solution. Serbia will request a new UN SC session to discuss the prospects for resuming the negotiating process, he said. Jeremic, who is attending Monday and Tuesday in Geneva a session of the UN Human Rights Council, also conferred with representatives of several governments and international organizations, including Colombian President Francisco Santos Calderon, African Union political secretary, and Foreign Ministers of Egypt Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Slovakia Jan Kubis and Norway Jonas Gahr Store.

GENEVA, Mar 4 (Tanjug) - Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic is wrapping up his two-day visit to Geneva, where he is taking part in the seventh session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. He will hold one more series of bilateral meetings today, and will meet with a total of some twenty foreign ministers during his visit to Geneva. Jeremic told Tanjug late on Monday that U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had confirmed to him that Resolution 1244 is still in force as far as the U.N. is concerned and that the U.N. Mission in Kosovo will continue to perform its competencies within the resolution. Jeremic also pointed out the instability in the region which was the result of the declaration of independence, underscoring that Belgrade and Pristina have to return to the negotiations, because only that way a long-term stable solution may be found.

BELGRADE, March 3 (Tanjug) - Serbian President Boris Tadic congratulated on Monday Dmitry Medvedev victory in the election for president of the Russian Federation and told him that he will have in Serbia a reliable friend and partner for the good of all the citizens of the two countries. "Respected Mr. Medvedev, I wish to send to you on behalf of the citizens of the Republic of Serbia and myself the sincerest congratulations for your victory in the presidential elections," the president's press service said in a statement. "I am quite certain that following your election the cooperation of the two countries would continue to develop and be strengthened in all fields of joint interest," Tadic's message of congratulations said. "You will always have a reliable friend and partner in Serbia, for the good of all the citizens and of our states," the Serbian president said.

BELGRADE, March 4 (Tanjug) - Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunia called on the parliamentary parties on Tuesday to confirm their unity in regard to the political stand that Kosovo is an integral part of Serbia, pointing out that a common stand was also essential on that that Serbia wanted to join Europe, but only if one whole. "Once again I call on the parliamentary parties to confirm in the National Assembly the country's uniform state and national policy that Kosovo is Serbia. If we all truly back the state and national principle that Kosovo is Serbia, then we also have to be united in supporting the stand that Serbia with Kosovo and Metohija can become a member of the European Union," Kostunica said in an interview with Tanjug. "Instead of divisions in the country over the European Union issue, it is essential that we define Serbia's uniform stand that we want and are willing to continue the European integration but only as a country which is one whole. I am certain that all parties will be content and that no one will be at a loss if all of us accept a clear stand that Serbia wants to join the European Union and that it wants to be admitted into the European Union together with its province Kosovo and Metohija," the Serbian prime minister underlined. "Both the parties that strongly insist on European integration and the parties that strongly insist on the defence of Kosovo can be pleased with this joint policy. This is why it is vital that we avoid divisions over the European Union, and that right now, we confirm a uniform state and national policy for Serbia - that Serbia, as a territorial whole with its southern province, wants to continue its European integration," Kostunica assessed. He warned that any insisting on party stands and any violation of the established national unity, would cause great damage for Serbia. This is why I call on all to preserve and confirm the policy Serbia has been pursuing for years now in defending its basic interests, and that we clearly say that Serbia will join the European Union only with Kosovo as its integral part," Kostunica stressed.

BELGRADE, Mar 3 (Tanjug) - Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic on Monday sent out a message to domestic and foreign investors that the Serbian government will provide macroeconomic stability, property safety, dynamic economic growth and concrete resolution of investment obstacles. After a meeting of the Serbian government economic team with representatives of domestic and foreign investors, Djelic said that foreign investors had invested over USD 15 billion in the Serbian economy and created over 100,000 new jobs since the year 2000, underscoring that direct foreign investments are Serbia's future. On Monday, the government issued strong guarantees to foreign and local investors that it will provide macroeconomic stability and budget revision but without increasing taxes and without increasing public expenditure, Djelic told a press conference. Another message to local and foreign investors was that the government will provide safety for people and property and compensate for the damage caused on some embassy buildings in the recent protests in Belgrade, said Djelic. Explaining the third message of the Serbian government, which refers to a dynamic economic growth, Djelic specified that the a growth of between six and seven percent of the gross domestic product, as well as an inflation rate of between six and seven percent and an industrial growth of about four percent, continue to be the government's economic goals for the year 2008. The key for the achievement of those goals is direct foreign investments of at least EUR 3 billion in 2008. Speaking about the fourth message, Djelic clarified that the Serbian government will in the future be at the disposal of all potential local and foreign investors who wish to invest in the Serbian economy, announcing that it will fight for as simple investment procedure as possible. Djelic held the meeting on Prospects of Economic Trends in Serbia with the ministers from the government economic team, the National Bank of Serbia governor, representatives of the Serbian and U.S. chambers of commerce, as well as the Foreign Investors Council (FIC). Minister for Economy and Regional Development Mladjan Dinkic, Minister for Trade and Service Predrag Bubalo, NBS Governor Radovan Jelasic, presidents of the Serbian and U.S. chambers of commerce Milos Bugarin and Dejan Cvetkovic, respectively, as well as FIC President Stein Erik Vellan, attended the meeting.

BELGRADE, March 3 (Tanjug) - Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic said on Monday that the government had decided "to start putting into practice the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA)" and that "the time will come" for signing and ratifying the SAA. Everyone in the government unequivocally agrees that the coordination of our system with that of the European Union (EU) is in the interest of the citizens of Serbia, Djelic told reporters in Belgrade, following a meeting with domestic and foreign investors. According to him, Serbia is not prevented by anything to start the implementation of the SAA so as not to lose precious time. Economy and Regional Development Minister Mladjan Dinkic pointed out that Serbia "must not lose a single moment towards European integrations" and that it should sign an agreement as soon as the European Commisison offers it. Dinkic said that Serbia should stand by its demand to preserve its sovereignty, but that it cannot stand in place until the annulling of the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo. He underscored that Serbia should not give up on its demand but that in practice it should advance towards the EU and take care of all its citizens, first and foremost of Serbs in Kosovo.

BELGRADE, Mar 3 (Tanjug) - American Chamber of Commerce (ACC) in Serbia President Dejan Cvetkovic gave a positive evaluation of the Monday messages by the Serbian government regarding foreign investors, pointing out that Serbia will become even more attractive to foreign investors in the coming period. Following the meeting with the Serbian government economic team, headed by Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic, Cvetkovic said that he is looking forward to informing members of the ACC in Serbia about its messages, underscoring that it was a positive signal to the countries of Western Europe and Northern America. Cvetkovic said that Serbia should join European integrations and attract direct foreign investments in order to improve the life of Serbia's citizens. He recalled that the ACC has 175 members, who invested around USD 6 billion in Serbia in 2000 and employ about 60,000 people in our country. Foreign Investors Council (FIC) President Stein Erik Vellan said that foreign investors received exceptionally favorable messages at the meeting with the Serbian government economic team. He promised that he would inform the FIC member and potential investors about those messages in order for them to take Serbia into account when deciding about their investments. Vellan underscored that Serbia will be exceptionally competitive in the coming years and that there are conditions for a long-term stability, which is important to potential investors.

BELGRADE, March 3 (Tanjug) - Serbian Defence Minister Dragan Sutanovac on Monday conveyed the state policy stands on the status of Kosovo-Metohija to Norwegian Foreign Ministry political director Kai Eide, the Serbian Defence Ministry said in a statement. At a meeting in Belgrade, Sutanovac stressed that the most important thing was to preserve peace and stability and that Serbia could count on guarantees that KFOR would protect Serbs and non-Albanians in Kosovo-Metohija. Sutanovac praised the fact that KFOR acted within UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and took the neutral position regarding the future status of Kosovo-Metohija, said the statement posted at the Serbian Defence Ministry website.

BELGRADE, Mar 3 (Tanjug) - General Director of Serbia's public railway company Zeleznice Srbije Milanko Sarancic said late on Monday that the reality is that the company is managing its property in Serbia's southern province. "We have invested a lot of funds in that region, and last year alone Zeleznice Srbije paid the debt of EUR 4.5 million," Sarancic told Tanjug. On the occasion of the take over of the jurisdiction over the infrastructure of Zeleznice Srbije in the north of Kosovo and Metohija (KiM), the section between Lesko and Zvecan, Sarancic said that after nine years the company has the right to manage its property in the north of KiM, within the UNMIK railways and in keeping with Resolution 1244. "This is a first step forward in establishing the traffic in Kosovo since UNMIK had taken over the administration of the territory, but it is not the last, because the intention is to expand the traffic in the territory of the southern province," said Sarancic.

BELGRADE, March 3 (Tanjug) - Newly-appointed Serbian Ambassador to Hungary Dejan Sahovic said on Monday that Serbia's relations with the countries that recognize the unilaterally proclaimed independence of Kosovo and Mtohija province "are being seriously put to the test, which is particularly true for the relations with the neighbors and for the regional cooperation." "I trust that in the coming period our relations with the neighbors and our participation in regional cooperation will withstand this difficult test," Sahovic said in talks with MPs of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Serbian National Asembly, ahead of his departure for his diplomatic mission in Budapest. Hungary has announced it will recognize the unilaterally proclaimed independence of Kosovo, Sahovic said, but that it will not be in the first round of countries that have decided to take this step. Serbia has "very good and quite specific" relations with Hungary, Sahovic pointed out. He underscored that, of all the neighbors, Hungary has progressed the most in its Euro-Atlantic integration processes. Serbia's first Ambassador to independent Montenegro Zoran Lutovac underscored that the bilateral relations with this country have been shaped by the manner in which Montenegro acquired independence, and that they are at a far lower level than expected, having in mind the tradition and the mutual political, economic and family ties. Liutovac said that the quality of relations between these two countries will be determined in the near future by Montenegro's stand on the issue of Kosovo and Metohija.

BELGRADE, March 3 (Tanjug) - World Bank Country Director and Regional Coordinator for South East Europe Jane Armitage has arrived in Belgrade for a two-day visit, in the course of which she will confer with Serbian government representatives on cooperation, Tanjug learned at the World Bank Belgrade Office on Monday. This is Armitage's first visit to Serbia since her appointment to this post.

BELGRADE, March 3 (Tanjug) - A delegation of the Serbian Defence Ministry and special-purpose industry visited India in late February with the aim of restoring military, economic and defence cooperation, the Serbian Defence Ministry said in a statement on Monday. During the visit, which took place on February 25-29, it was agreed that the two defence ministries' experts exchange visits in order to make the agreed cooperation concrete. The Serbian delegation was received by state minister for defence Palam Raju and high representatives at the Indian Defence Ministry, Ground Forces and Air Force, the Serbian Defence Ministry said in the statement posted on its website.

UZICE, March 3 (Tanjug) - Serbia's Education Minister Zoran Loncar said in Uzice on Monday that Serbia was an integral part of Europe, which is a historical fact since two centuries ago, just as for Serbia are indisputable European integrations. "For Serbia at this point is disputable in which borders Europe wants Serbia, within its internationally recognised or, perhaps, in some other borders in which some states of the European Union want to see Serbia," Loncar said. Minister Loncar asked whether the borders are the Prokletija mountain chain and Mt Sar or, perhaps, as seen by some, on Mt Kopaonik and Mt Pancic. From the Democratic Party of Serbia municipal board action, dubbed "Kosovo not for sale," held symbolically at 12.44, was sent a message that Kosovo and Metohija is an integral and inalienable part of Serbia, which has been confirmed formally by citizens also in the Constitution of Serbia.

BRUSSELS, March 4 (Tanjug) - The priorities of The Hague Tribunal continue to be the arrest of Ratko Mladic and continuation of the pressure on Serbia, ICTY newly-appointed Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz has said in an interview for the Brussels daily Le Soir. Brammertz underlined that it was hard for him to imagine that the Tribunal could end its work if the remaining ICTY indictees - above all Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic - were not arrested before that. Asked if he thought Mladic was in Serbia, Brammertz answered that for the time being, he had no reason to believe that he was hiding in Serbia. As for Karadzic, Brammertz said that he had no information whatsoever on his wherabouts. He underlined that, allegedly, before the proclamation of Kosovo unilateral independence, he had been obliged to postpone his visit to Belgrade because the time, as he put it, had not been right for talks about cooperation, but announced, however, that he would visit Serbia, which continued to be the main priority of his work, very soon. Brammertz also announced that he would follow the path of (former ICTY chief prosecutor) Carla del Ponte and that he would continue to maintain the tensions that existed in public opinion, so as to keep it interested in that issue.

ATHENS, Mar 4 (Tanjug) - NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said at a news conference in Athens on Monday that the relations between NATO and Serbia have to remain open, despite the current problems relating to Kosovo. The relations with Serbia have to remain open and I believe that those relations are very important, underscored Scheffer. After his meeting with Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyianni, Scheffer underscored that when it comes to the enlargement of the Alliance, the region of the Western Balkans should be observed as a whole. We have to view NATO's relations with Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, as well as with Serbia despite the current problems with Kosovo, the Greek news agency ANA quoted Scheffer as saying.

ATHENS, March 3 (Tanjug) - Assessing that the recognition of the unilaterally proclaimed independence of Kosovo and Metohija province is a violation of international law, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said in Athens on Monday that he does not know any other region in which the same nation has two states. That is a violation of international law which can lead to the destabilization of other countries that have minorities, Fico said during a joint press conference held with Greek Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis. Prime Minister Fico said that Slovakia's stand on the question of Kosovo is similar to the stand of Greece. It will be very difficult for Slovakia to recognize an independent Kosovo, Greek media quoted the Slovak prime minister as saying. Speaking about Kosovo, Greek Prime Minister Karamanlis, for his part, said that the primarily objective is peace and stability, and stressed that the KFOR presence must be secured. In connection with the Greek stand on the unilaterally proclaimed independence of Kosovo, Karamanlis said that Greece does not feel pressure in connection with this issue and that it will make the relevant decision in keeping with its national interests. The Greek prime minister reiterated that Greece is interested in the European prospects of the regional countries, in particular of Serbia, and that it is constantly working on this.

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA, March 3 (Tanjug) - EU special representative in Kosovo Peter Faith said on Monday that Serbia should stop repaying Kosovo's foreign debt to enable institutions in Pristina to take responsibility in the economy. Serbia should stop repaying Kosovo's foreign debt in the foreseeable future and one provision from the Martti Ahtisaari plan refers to this problem. Arrangements should be created through which Kosovo will take responsibility in this field, Faith told the Mitrovica radio Contact Plus in an interview. Faith, to whose arrival and presence of EU mission in Kosovo Belgrade is strongly opposed, said that the legal basis for his arrival was UN Security Council Resolution 1244, without stating which part thereof. The resolution is regarded in its entirety and it says that civilian presence in Kosovo is needed, Faith said and added that the process of reconfiguration of UNMIK was underway. The EU mission will not replace UNMIK in Kosovo and it is very likely that UNMIK will remain present, but to a far lower extent, said the Dutch diplomat, whom the International Steering Group, formed in Vienna last week, appointed international representative for Kosovo. Faith said that he would work on the implementation of the Ahtisaari plan for Kosovo, although the plan had not been approved by the UN Security Council.

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA, March 3 (Tanjug) - UNMIK spokesperson Methild Heneke said on Monday that the UN Mission in Kosovo still regarded the railway infrastructure in northern Kosovo as an integral part of the UNMIK railway. We still regard it as a part of UNMIK railways, because these municipalities and this direction are a part of Kosovo, Heneke told the Mitrovica radio Contact Plus, reacting to the statement of Serbian Railways Managing Board President Branislav Ristivojevic that after nine years, this public enterprise had finally taken competence over its infrastructure in northern Kosovo-Metohija, between Lesak and Zvecan. Ristivojevic said in Zvecan that the transport would improve by this move and added that railways were not capable of working in northern Kosovo-Metohija under the administration of UNMIK according to the standards met by the Railways of Serbia. Heneke said that this issue would be reviewed at the top level and added that contacts had already been made, as far as she knew.

BRUSSELS, Mar 3 (Tanjug) - Russia will not tolerate any improvizations regarding Kosovo-Metohija and will do everything to minimize any international presence in the province that is not in keeping with the UN Security Council Resolution 1244, Russian Ambassador to NATO Dmitry Rogozin told Tanjug in an exclusive interview the agency will carry Tuesday. Russia will defend the foundations of international law and will do everything to prevent Kosovo from getting any status in the UN, he said.

BELGRADE, Mar 3 (Tanjug) - Illinois Senator Barak Obama, democratic candidate for US president, said he would work for peace and stability in Kosovo if he wins the election. "I believe that peace and stability there can only truly be ensured by solutions that are acceptable to all sides", he said in a letter to President of the Serbian Unity Congress Mirjana Samardzija. "Even in the absence of mutual agreement, the rights of minorities and the need to protect the historic religious sites are non-negotiable issues," Obama said in the letter presented to Tanjug by SUC. His letter was an answer to SUC request to state his stand on issues important for the Serb community in the US.

MOSCOW, Mar 4 (Tanjug) - The issue of Kosovo and Metohija remains on the agenda of the UN Security Council, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Jakovenko said, announcing that Russia will continue to object to the attempts to legitimize the unilateral declaration of independence by Serbia's southern province and to push the UN Mission out of Kosovo. "If necessary, we will insist on discussing the Kosovo issue in consultative session of the Council or request extraordinary official sessions of the Council, as was the case last February," said Jakovenko in his text dedicated to Russia's presidency of the UNSC in March, which was published by Rossiyskaya Gazeta. According to Jakovenko, regardless of the form in which the Kosovo issue will be raised at the UNSC, Russia will continue to defend its stand on illegitimacy of the self-proclaimed independence of the Province, because it is contrary to international law, the U.N. Charter and main decision of the UNSC, including Res 1244. Also, Moscow will continue to defend its stand on the illegitimacy of the unilateral deployment of the so-called EU mission in Kosovo, because it had not been approved by the Council and because it lacks the approval of the Serbian government, said Jakovenko.

BRUSSELS, Mar 4 (Tanjug) - The Kosovo Serbs must not allow themselves to get provoked and thus help those who want to drive UNMIK out of Kosovo, Russian Ambassador to NATO Dmitri Rogozin said in an interview with Tanjug in Brussels. "Some centers in Europe wish to provoke the Kosovo Serbs to react inappropriately and to then say that the Serbs carry out attacks, which is why the U.N. has to be evacuated.That is why it is very important for the Kosovo Serbs to be well organized and not to respond to provocations in order for UN Security Council Resolution 1244 to remain in force," said Ambassador Rogozin. On our side, we shall make sure KFOR stays within its mandate, said Rogozin, adding "if KFOR steps out of its mandate, we shall meet in New York and not in Brussels." When asked by Tanjug's journalist what Moscow sees as overstepping of one's mandate in Kosovo, Ambassador Rogozin said "Ahtisaari is the red line." "Ahtisaari is the biggest improviser. Let him improvise in Finland, and let him present Ahtisaari's plan to the Swedes in Finland. I don't know who Ahtisaari is and what he stands for, and I don't know of Ahtisaari's plan. I only know of the U.N. Secretary-General and Resolution 1244," underscored Rogozin. He evaluated that "every broadening of the mandate would mean its violation" giving the limitation of the freedom of movement of Serbia's officials as one of the examples. According to him, the particularly dangerous violation of the mandate would be KFOR's assistance in "setting up of an Albanian army." Rogozin, however, underscored that he sees no reason for a return of the Russian troops to Kosovo, although, he underscored, the Russian president is the one who decides on that. When asked whether he believes that Serbia has an alternative to its integration in Euro-Atlantic structures and whether the policy of neutrality has future, Rogozin replied: "What do Switzerland and Austria lack? What did the former Yugoslavia, which was a very good player and did not belong to any of the blocs, lack?" More privileges may be obtained with neutrality than by taking sides, said Rogozin, underscoring that development of comprehensive relations is of key importance.