Belgrade, 04. 04. 2008.

SERBIA - NATO SUMMIT

• ACCESSION OF REGION STATES IN EU IS SOLUTION FOR PEACE
• SPASOJEVIC FOR RESPECT OF INTERNATIONAL LAW
• ISSUE OF NATO MEMBERSHIP WILL BE TOPICAL IN FUTURE, JEFTIC
• NATO OFFERS INTENSIFIED DIALOGUE TO SERBIA

• DULIC FLIES TO BRUSSELS FOR TALKS ON SAA, VISAFREE TRAVEL
• REHN: PROGRAM FOR ABOLISHING VISAS FOR SERBIA BY END ARPIL
• POTTERING WANTS TO HELP SOONEST POSSIBLE SIGNING OF SAA

• KOŠTUNICA: EU MEMBERSHIP NOT ON AGENDA
• AGREEMENT WITH RUSSIA AWAITS NEW GOVERNMENT
• MINISTERS FAIL TO SEE EYE TO EYE ON ENERGY DEAL POSTPONEMENT
• COOPERATION ON DRAFTING LAW ON ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
• GOVERNMENT TO ORGANIZE ELECTIONS ALSO IN KOSOVO
• WORDSWORTH: SOUTHERN SERBIAN ALBANIANS SHOULD JOIN FOR VOTE
• BELGRADE INCENSED BY ICTY RULING ON HARADINAJ
• SERBIAN GOVT OFFICIALS CONDEMN HARADINAJ'S ACQUITTAL
• HARADINAJ'S ACQUITTAL POLITICAL SCANDAL - SERBIAN OFFICIAL

• SKENDER HYSENI FOREIGN MINISTER OF KOSOVO
• U.N. OFFICIALS MUM ON UNMIK OFFICIAL RESIGNATION
• PRISTINA WELCOMES ALBANIA'S INVITATION INTO NATO
• MILOSAVLJEVIC- WHO SPEEDS UP MEDICINE DELIVERY TO KOSOVO
• RUSSIA CONTINUES TO DELIVER HUMANITARIAN AID

BUCHAREST, Apr 3 (Tanjug) - Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic stated in Bucharest on Thursday that the Western Balkans will be a potential trouble spot until all region countries get accepted in the European Union. " Until our entire region is in the EU, governed by its values and practices, sharing sovereignty instead of fighting over it, the Western Balkans will always be a potential trouble spot," said Jeremic at the Euroatlantic Partnership Council session.

He evaluated that the region is at a strategic moment in which the past and the future are overlapping. "To meet the global threats of the 21st century, we need to address the regional challenges, and to do that we must tackle the local differences," said Jeremic, adding that Serbia is ready to act decisively, in concert with our partners, to overcome them. Minister Jeremic said that Serbia had devoted considerable efforts to ensure that our regional policies reflect our core belief in the importance of promoting common values, mutual understanding, reconciliation, and the sovereign equality of states.

"That is why we have joined the Partnership for Peace, why we actively participate in the myriad formats of the Euroatlantic Partnership Council, and why we constructively contribute to the region's security institutions," clarified Jeremic. He said that Serbia is ready to engage and move rapidly to ensure that there is a dialogue that prevents any further violence and more uncontrolled developments in Kosovo, which, he said, had already been conveyed both to the United Nations and the European Union.

Jeremic underscored that as a result of wars, the region still needs peacekeepers and recalled that the largest number is deployed in Serbia's southern province of Kosovo. "Over 15,000 KFOR troops are stationed there. We expect them to remain status-neutral, to maintain law and order, to work harder to close down one of the most lucrative organized crime routes into Europe, and, most importantly, to protect the Kosovo Serbs," said Minister Jeremic.

"Let me say it clearly: this most vulnerable community must not be allowed to become hostage to political competition and international rivalries," said Jeremic. "Regretfully, some of the countries represented in this room have recently chosen to recognize the unilateral declaration of independence by the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government of Kosovo. As a result, a dangerous precedent has been established-one that legitimizes the forced partition of internationally recognized, sovereign states," said Jeremic.

"We have proclaimed the unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo null and void, and we will continue employing all diplomatic and political means to protect our sovereignty and territorial integrity," underscored the Serbian Foreign Minister. Jeremic also mentioned the upcoming parliamentary elections in Serbia, which he believes will decide the future course of the country.

BUCHAREST, April 3 (Tanjug) - Secretary of State Dusan Spasojevic with the Serbian Ministry of Defense on Thursday addressed participants in the Bucharest conference taking place on the fringes of the NATO summit, and presented Serbia's stand in principle that the most important factor for the security and stability of southeastern Europe is that the principles of international law are respected by all.

"The most important thing is that solutions are not imposed, and that a solution is arrived at through common accord and consensus. Naturally, when we spoke about this, we were referring to the situation in Kosovo and Metohija," Spasojevic said in a statement for Tanjug.

The secretary of state undescored that the Defense Ministry delegation had a series of bilateral meetings, including talks with the delegations of Slovakia, Spain, the Czech Republic, and Greece. It is important that the Serbian Defense Ministry delegation was close to the source of information in Bucharest and that it saw first-hand how decisions are being made, Spasojevic said. Spasojevic said that the adopted decisions "also pertain to Serbia, since we live in southeastern Europe with the ambition to have the leading role in our region."

BELGRADE, April 3 (Tanjug) - State Secretary in the Serbian Defence Ministry, Zoran Jeftic, said Thursday that the continuation of Serbia's closer ties with NATO is primarily a political issue that is not topical at present, but will most certainly appear on this country's political agenda in the future.

Commenting the results of the NATO summit in Bucharest, Romania, Jeftic told Tanjug that currently Serbia is satisfied to be a member of the Partnership for Peace program, which it joined at the previous NATO summit in Riga, Latvia. "The issue of NATO is a major political issue and I assume that in the coming period it will be decided at a referendum, as is the practice in other countries, but currently it is not topical," Jeftic stated.

According to him, after Croatia and Albania join NATO, and Macedonia, Montenegro and Bosnia - Herzegovina achieve closer ties with the Alliance, Serbia will find itself in a new geo-political reality, but this should not signify a special threat. It can only indicate possibilities for closer cooperation.

BUCHAREST, Apr 3 (Tanjug) - NATO has offered its hand to Serbia, Romanian President Traian Basescu said Thursday quoting the conclusions of the NATO summit. Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia have received an invitation to raise the level of their cooperation with NATO from Partnership for Peace to intensified dialogue, he said.

Unlike its neighbors, Serbia made no request to that effect, but there had been insistence inside NATO that Serbia be guaranteed its relations with NATO once it decides to put an end to its isolation from NATO, Basescu told a press conference. At the last NATO summit at the end of 2006 in Riga, Serbia got the status of Partnership for Peace member.

BRUSSELS, April 03 (Beta) - European Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn wants Serbia to sign its Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) as soon as possible, according to what Parliament Speaker Oliver Dulic told BETA on April 3.

"Rehn said that he personally supports the SAA being signed as quickly as possible and wants Serbia to swiftly meet the requirements necessary for it to become a candidate for membership late this year or early next year, joining the EU as fast as it can," Dulic said following talks with Rehn in Brussels.

He added that although no dates were discussed, he is confident that the document will be signed soon.

Dulic stressed that he and Rehn discussed steps that need to be taken before and after the Serbian general elections in order to bring Serbia closer to signing the SAA and ensuring visa free travel to the EU.

Remarking that a great deal depends on Serbia, Dulic added that the EU has a part to play as well.

Answering a question about whether cooperation with the ICTY was discussed as a condition for the SAA, Dulic said that the subject "is part of our permanent discussion. The key issue is what constitutes cooperation efforts by the state to wrap up that problem as quickly as it can or solely the arrest of defendants."

BRUSSELS, April 3 (Tanjug) - European Union (EU) Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said in Brussels on Thursday that the European Commission will present, by the end of April, the road map for Serbia for the liberalization of the visa regime in which it will list the conditions that Serbia must meet in order for it citizens to be able to travel to the EU without visas.

This European Commission program will be presented to Serbia by the end of the month, and a draft of this document will be presented to EU member-states early next week, Rehn said after a meeting with Serbian National Assembly President Oliver Dulic. Asked by Tanjug what the road map will contain, Rehn replied that it contains a series of criteria that Belgrade must first meet - primarily in the area of the strengthening of border control. There is no deadline for completing this process because it depends on Serbia's activities more than anything else, the commissioner said, adding that the visa liberalization would be valid for all Serbian citizens.

Asked about the fate of the signing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with Serbia, Rehn sad that there is currently no political consensus on this issue. The commissioner also underscored that the EU would like a parliamentary majority to be created in Serbia, after the elections in May, which would be for the EU and for the fulfilling of the conditions necessary for this goal to be realized.

BRUSSELS, April 4 (Tanjug) - President of the European Parliament (EP) Hans-Gert Pottering said in Brussels late on Thursday that he wanted to use his influence so that the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) could be signed as soon as possible.

Our interest is that the SAA is signed as soon as possible, and I will use my influence to make this happen, Pottering, a parliamentarian of the German ruling Christian Democratic Union, said after his meeting with Serbian parliament speaker Oliver Dulic. According to Pottering, Serbia is in a very difficult situation and the European Union is ready to help it.

During the talks, Dulic pointed out that he wanted the process of European integration to be speeded up, and in this context he invited Pottering to visit Serbia, which the EP president accepted.

BELGRADE, April 04 (B92) - Vojislav Koštunica says that the EU deal involves clarifying the matter of borders and Serbia's territorial integrity. Speaking to Pink TV's VIN program, the prime minister said last night that he felt it expedient to send the Russian energy deal to parliament for ratification in order to speed up the whole process of pipeline construction, and said that it was entirely within the technical government's powers to sanction such a move.

As far as the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) was concerned, Koštunica said the question of frontiers and Serbia's territorial integrity had not even been touched on during negotiations with the EU. "We've never discussed that matter with the EU. If we don't discuss it, then every further step towards the SAA will imply our indirect recognition of Kosovo independence," he said. Serbia cannot join the EU before 2012, 2013, maybe even a year or two later, said Koštunica, adding that EU membership was not currently on the agenda, rather the previous matter needed to be discussed how the EU viewed Serbia.

In the prime minister's opinion, Kosovo's status would have to be discussed again at some point, as the situation in the province was frozen and needed to be settled.

Asked whether the issue of Kosovo awaited Serbia before the very doors of the EU, he said that "everyone would give priority to something that was territorial integrity over membership of an organization, part of whose members question Serbia's territorial integrity." Koštunica said that Serbia's measures had slowed down recognition of Kosovo's unilateral independence and that filing a lawsuit with the International Court of Justice would be the best response to countries recognizing independence.

Asked about a possible coalition with the Serb Radical Party (SRS) after the coming parliamentary elections, the DSS leader said he would not speak of coalitions until after the elections. He said that he was profoundly certain of the justness of his policies where the question of Kosovo's place in Serbia figured highly, together with negotiations with the EU, tackling corruption, and economic growth.

Asked about UNMIK's reaction to the government's decision to hold parliamentary and local elections in Kosovo, Koštunica said that UNMIK would not make any problems, and that elections would go ahead in Kosovo unhindered.

In reference to the acquittal by the Hague Tribunal of former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) leader Ramush Haradinaj on charges of war crimes in Decani in 1998, and Serbian cooperation with the Tribunal, the prime minister said that Serbia had been conducting itself very responsibly as far as its international commitments were confirmed.

BELGRADE, April 03 (Beta) - At the Serbian government session on April 3, by a majority of votes a proposal to send the energy agreement with Russia to Parliament for ratification was rejected, which means that the agreement will apparently have to wait for a new government.

Six ministers voted for the proposal, while the ministers from the Democratic Party abstained from the voting. Ministers from the G17 Plus party were not present at the session.

Minister of Energy Aleksandar Popovic, from the Democratic Party of Serbia, also did not participate in the voting, since he left the chamber before it took place. He told BETA that he did not leave the government session for political reasons, but because of a previously scheduled guest spot on Belgrade TV.

Ministers from G17 Plus did not attend the session "in protest over Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica's attempt to abuse the caretaker government session for the election campaign of the Populist Coalition," the party stated in its announcement.

"The conduct of the president of the Democratic Party of Serbia is impermissible, since he abused his role as prime minister, just as in the case of the Horgos-Pozega highway, exclusively for the election marketing of the coalition he leads," it was stated in the announcement.

The energy deal between Serbia and Russia envisages the construction of the South Stream gas pipeline through Serbia and the sale of a 51 percent stake in the Serbian Oil Industry (NIS) to the Russian Gazprom for EUR400 million. The Russian giant also pledged to invest an additional EUR500 million in the modernization of the company.

BELGRADE, April 03 (Beta) - Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic and Trade Minister Predrag Bubalo have expressed conflicting opinions on how delays in the ratification of the Russian energy deal will affect the economy and relations with Russia.

Speaking at a cabinet news conference, Bubalo said that the decision to put the deal on hold means putting off a massive greenfield investment that was on the verge of happening. He added that ties with Russia will likely be hurt, a fact supposedly confirmed by a March 21 letter from Russian Industry and Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko.

In the letter, Khristenko said that Russia had ratified the deal and expressed concern about possible delays on Serbia's part.

Djelic responded that there have been no threats from Russian officials, although they have pointed out that Serbia needs to ratify the arrangement.

He added that the Democratic Party is ready to support the deal in its present form after the next election, stressing that allowing the caretaker cabinet to give the go-ahead could result in legitimacy issues.

In addition, he pointed out that the natural gas and oil parts of the deal can be put into effect even before it is ratified.

Djelic added that, thanks to this, the Russian side has access to confidential information on the NIS oil company and that the NIS board of directors set up a working group on March 20 that will collaborate with representatives of Russia's Gazprom to analyze and evaluate NIS.

BELGRADE, April 3 (Tanjug) - On its way toward the European Union (EU), Serbia must adopt a large package of laws and bylaws regarding environmental protection which will bring many benefits to its citizen through their implementation, Serbian Minister of Environmental Protection Sasa Dragin said on Thursday.

During the signing of an agreement on cooperation with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Serbia Mission Chief Hans Ola Urstad in the Serbian government, Dragin said these laws will enable also the opening of new sectors of the economy in the area of recycling and will improve the quality of the environment for the citizens of Serbia. Serbia cannot do this job alone, Dragin said, so it will cooperate with the OSCE on the project on strategic support to the Ministry for Environmental Protection for the construction of institutional capacities.

The elementary goal of this project is that the OSCE, as an organization with vast experience in other European countries in the area of environmental protection as well, should help the Serbian Ministry in building a legislative framework coordinated with the EU legislature, with the objective of Serbia's speedier integration with the Union.

BELGRADE, April 03 (Beta) - On April 3, the Serbian government decided to organize the coming elections also in Kosovo, Serbian Minister for Kosovo and Metohija Slobodan Samardzic stated after the session.

Samardzic reminded the press that the elections are being called for all of Serbian territory, which is the reason why they will be held on the territory of Kosovo as well, to enable loyal citizens to exercise their right to vote. He said that Serbs had not participated in the local elections organized by temporary authorities in Kosovo, after which special representative Joachim Ruecker extended the mandate in the mainly Serb municipalities by another six months. He also stressed that the period expires at the time the elections are called. Samardzic stressed UNMIK's obligation to call the elections according to U.N. Resolution 1244, and he announced that Serbia will request this in a letter.

Parliamentary, local and provincial elections in Serbia are scheduled for May 11.

BUJANOVAC, April 03 (Beta) - British Ambassador Steven Wordsworth has said it would be best for southern Serbia's Albanian population to run in a coalition in the next election to secure two seats in Parliament.

In an April 3 statement, Wordsworth said the parties had their differences although he encouraged them to work together regardless. He made the statement to BETA after a meeting with local Albanian representatives in Bujanovac.

According to the British diplomat, they informed him in separate talks that the region is full of problems and that Belgrade is discriminating against ethnic Albanians.

He added that he believes the situation can change only if the community gets representation in Belgrade, which is impossible without joint participation in the election. That, Wordsworth warned, would make them invisible to the rest of Serbia.

BELGRADE, April 03 (Beta) - Officials in Belgrade have described as "shameful and unjust" the ICTY's not guilty verdict against former KLA commander Ramush Haradinaj and two codefendants for alleged 1998 war crimes in Kosovo.

Before the judgment was announced, President Boris Tadic said that releasing Haradinaj would be a gross injustice and reduce the credibility of the U.N. court. "If that happened, justice would not be served and Serbs and other nonAlbanians would not be encouraged that they can expect a peaceful and secure future in Kosovo," Tadic said in a statement sent to BETA.

Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said the judgment "is a mockery of justice and the innocent victims." "The dark decision of the Hague tribunal to clear Haradinaj fully confirms that this is a court that does not exist for the sake of justice," Kostunica told the media.

War Crimes Prosecutor Vladimir Vukcevic said that the ruling means the ICTY is ready to retire.

"The ICTY appears to have played its historical role at a time when the political elites in the region and our country were unable to face war crimes," Vukcevic told BETA.

The main political parties described the judgment as a defeat for international justice, a disgrace, and unjust.

BELGRADE, Apr 3 (Tanjug) - Serbian government officials condemned Thursday the acquittal of former Kosovo premier and Kosovo Liberation Army commander Ramush Haradinaj by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Haradinaj was indicted for crimes against humanity and violation of war law and customs in Kosovo in 1998.

This catastrophic ICTY verdict will have political, moral and legal consequences for justice and possibly also for peace and stability in Kosovo, Minister for Kosovo-Metohija Slobodan Samardzic told a press conference after the government session. Haradinaj's acquittal shows that there is no international justice for crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia, he said, noting that Haradinaj's indictment had been well drafted with strong evidence and numerous witnesses. The verdict has allowed a war criminal to continue engaging in politics in Kosovo and will affect the state endeavors for preserving Kosovo as part of Serbia, Samardzic said, adding that ICTY verdict has poured oil onto fire in the Kosovo issue.

Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic sad that Haradinaj's acquittal was a black day for international justice and recalled the evidence presented by former ICTY chief prosecutor Carla del Ponte. The acquittal is scandalous and follows tremendous pressures and murder of witnesses. It has dealt a serious blow to the entire system of international justice and to the future and reconciliation among nations in the Balkans, and the responsibility lies with ICTY, Djelic said.

BELGRADE, Apr 3 (Tanjug) - The acquittal of former Kosovo premier and Kosovo Liberation Army commander Ramush Haradinaj by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia was a legal and political scandal, President of the Serbian National Council for Cooperation with ICTY Rasim Ljajic said Thursday.

Haradinaj was indicted for crimes against humanity and violation of war law and customs in Kosovo in 1998. This verdict was the last in a series of bad ICTY decisions and will additionally worsen the already bad ICTY image in Serbia, he said. The list of persons responsible for such inconsistency and injustice is long and is headed by former UNMIK chief Soren Jessen Petersen, Ljajic said.

Jessen Petersen did nothing to protect witnesses or cooperate with ICTY, as its former chief prosecutor Carla del Ponte has confirmed, he noted. A part of responsibility for Haradinaj's acquittal also lies with the ICTY Prosecution, which had pointed to problems in that case but exerted no pressure on UNMIK, Ljajic said. Noone paid attention to threats and pressures on witnesses, nine of whom were murdered, including three covered by witness protection program, he noted. Noone in the international community said anything about that, he added.

PRISTINA, April 03 (Beta) - On April 3, the government of Kosovo accepted a proposal made by the Democratic Alliance of Kosovo to appoint current Minister of Culture Skender Hyseni the foreign minister of Kosovo.

Hyseni has also been first adviser to late Kosovo president Ibrahim Rugova, and adviser to Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu.

After 120 days have elapsed since the proclamation of Kosovo's independence (Feb. 17), Hyseni will take over his new post, to which he was appointed by the Kosovo government on April 3.

In the negotiating process between Belgrade and Pristina, Hyseni acted as the spokesman of the Pristina team, a member of the strategic group, and the leader of the Kosovo delegation in the talks on economic questions.

According to the proposed Kosovo Constitution and international mediator Martti Ahtisaari's plan, it is envisaged that Kosovo will get two new ministries for foreign affairs and for defense.

The coalition partners the Democratic Party of Kosovo and the Democratic Alliance of Kosovo agreed to divide the ministries, and to allocate the first one formed to the Democratic Alliance of Kosovo.

At the session on April 3, apart from appointing Hyseni, the government decided to appoint the former minister for returns and communities, Branislav Grbic, the deputy minister for local administration.

NEW YORK, April 03 (Beta) - The U.N. secretary general's PR officials refused to respond on April 3 to reports that senior UNMIK officials could step down if Gerald Gallucci, the regional administrator for Kosovska Mitrovica, stays in office.

Brenden Varma, spokesman for Ban Kimoon, responded with a terse "no comment" to reports printed in the Pristina based Zeri newspaper that UNMIK chief Joachim Ruecker and his deputy, Larry Rossin, have pledged to resign unless Kimoon accepts Gallucci's resignation. He added that the matter is UNMIK's business.

Gallucci, who opposed sending troops to raid a Serb held courthouse in the north of the town on March 17, tendered his resignation after that day's violence. It was accepted by acting UNMIK chief Rossin, but rejected by the U.N. secretary general's office, which called him a good link between UNMIK and Kosovo's Serbs.

In related news, Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic is due to meet with Ban Kimoon on April 4 to discuss the situation in Kosovo. In New York, Jeremic will also meet with the ambassadors of several U.N. Security Council members, including Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, and representatives of China and Morocco.

The U.N. body is scheduled to debate Kosovo on April 21 based on the latest report on the work of UNMIK.

PRISTINA, April 03 (Beta) - Kosovo officials on April 3 welcomed NATO's decision to invite Albania into its membership, rating this as a positive step which will bring stability to the region.

The best possible process is for the region to advance on its own merits and become part of integrative processes, Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu said, adding that Pristina interpreted the invitation to Albania as a new opportunity for direct assistance to Kosovo.

Hajredin Kuqi, deputy premier and spokesman for the Kosovo government, said the membership of Albania and other countries in the region in NATO contributed to Kosovo coming closer to the same goal.

In one way or another, Kosovo has close ties with NATO, because NATO is present in Kosovo. It has returned a positive answer to the Kosovo government's invitation for NATO forces to remain in Kosovo and build Kosovo's security forces together, Kuqi said.

BELGRADE, April 3 (Tanjug) - Serbian Health Care Minister Tomica Milosavljevic said on Thursday that the entire quantity of medicines had arrived in Gusterica and Lipljan after 11 PM on Wednesday, except the dental equipment dispatch. If there had not been for the World Health Organisation (WHO) intervention, the problem of distribution of medicines in the territory of Kosovo-Metohija would not have been resolved so effectively, Milosavljevic told reporters.

"That's why Director of the WHO Country Office in Belgrade Dorit Nitzan-Kaluski is in Kosovo today and she is discussing with UNMIK bodies the future continual supply of the local population with medications in order to prevent politics from interfering with citizens' lives, regarding of their ethnicity," Milosavljevic said.

He recalled that cooperation with the WHO and other UN agencies was flawless and added that the Health Care Ministry had contacts and meetings with UN coordinators in Belgrade, because they had their bodies in Kosovo, which was why one could expect the problem to be solved in such a way as to prevent the suffering of citizens who need medications.

BELGRADE, April 4 (Tanjug) - An aircraft carrying the second contingent of humanitarian aid which the Russian Federation sent for the Serb enclaves in Kosovo arrived in Belgrade at 9.45 am on Friday, Tanjug learned at the Nikola Tesla Airport.

The humanitarian aid, which includes supplies, food for children and medicine, was sent to Serbia upon the order of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Ministry for Emergency Situations and Disaster Relief. By April 10, Russia will deliver for the Serb enclaves in Kosovo a total of four contingents of humanitarian aid, that is 140 tons of supplies and medicine in the value of 1.7 billion dollars.