Belgrade, 07. 02. 2008.

POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY IN THE COUNTRY-GOVERNMENT DEEPLY DIVIDED

• TADIC DEMANDS THAT KOSTUNICA SCHEDULES GOV. SESSION
• TADIC'S OFFICE SAYS GOVT SHOULD MEET IF SERBIA IS IN DANGER
• KOSTUNICA: SERBIAN PARLIAMENT NEEDS TO BE CONVENED
• GOVERNMENT SESSION HAS NOT BEEN CALLED
• MINISTERS INFORMED IN WRITING ABOUT NOT HOLDING OF SESSION
• KOSTUNICA TO CALL GOVERNMENT SESSION FOR FEB. 14
• GOVERNMENT ON RTB BOR IN TELEPHONE SESSION
• DULIC: KOSTUNICA SHOULD FIRST SCHEDULE GOV. SESSION
• PARLIAMENT SESSION WILL BE CALLED AFTER CONSULTATIONS
• LJAJIC: GOVERNMENT'S FALL MOST REALISTIC SOLUTION TO CRISIS
• BUBALO: NO REASON FOR GOVERNMENT FALL
• POPOVIC: GOVERNMENT REMAINS, ASSEMBLY TO DECIDE ON EU ACCORD
• ECONOMIC PROSPECTS AFFECTED BY POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY

• JEREMIC: KOSOVO STATUS & EU INTREGRATION SEPARATE PROCESSES
• EU PRESIDENCY HOPES FOR SERBIA'S POSITIVE REPLY SOON
• KACIN SAYS SERBIA ON BRINK OF SELFISOLATION
• MEMORANDUM ON ACCESSION OF SERBIAN CULTURE IN EU PROGRAMME
• SVILANOVIC: ANOTHER LOST YEAR

• LONCAR: RUPEL'S STATEMENT, UNEXPLICABLE UNSCRUPULOUSNESS
• FLEINER: RESOLUTION 1244 PROVIDES NO BASIS FOR EU MISSION
• CHIZHOV: BAN KI-MOON WILL NOT APPROVE ILLEGAL EU MISSION
• EU MISSION FITS SCENARIO FOR DECLARING KOSOVO INDEPENDENCE
• SELF-DETERMINATION AGAINST EU MISSION

• CHIZHOV SAYS KOSOVO'S INDEPENDENCE WOULD BE POINTLESS
• CHIZOV: RUSSIA OPPOSES KOSOVO INDEPENENCE
• BERISHA: KOSOVO'S INDEPENDENCE KEY FOR REGIONAL STABILITY
• UNMIK REQUESTS ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS FROM BAN KI-MOON
• UNMIK WILL NOT STEP UP POLICE FORCES, EXCEPT IN NORTH

• PUTIN FELICITATES TADIC
• PLAN FOR BILATERAL MILITARY COOPERATION IN 2008 SIGNED

BELGRADE, Feb 6 (Tanjug) - Serbian President Boris Tadic on Wednesday called on Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica to schedule a regular government session, saying that no one can obstruct the operation of government organs due to party positions, Tadic's press service has announced. "In order to preserve the stability of the country, it is necessary for all government institutions to do their jobs and no one can obstruct the operation of state organs due to party positions," a statement said, noting that "the government should work in the interest of the citizens." "It holds the executive powers and, according to the Constitution, determines and conducts policies. The work of the Serbian government cannot depend on anyone's good will, nor can the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia replace the Serbian government. Everyone has their constitutionally and legally defined obligations and competences," the statement said. "The National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia can and should debate all major state issues and adopt decisions, but this should be preceeded by the obligatory opinion of the Serbian government," Tadic pointed out.

BELGRADE, Feb 6 (Tanjug) - At a critical moment for the state and if Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica assesses that Serbia's territorial integrity and sovereignty is threatened, it is only natural for the Serbian government to hold a session and decide on this issue, Tanjug was told at the Serbian president's office on Wednesday. Boris Tadic's office said that every state body had to do their job and that the government's job was to hold a session and adopt a position. The Serbian president previously requested from the prime minister to schedule the session and said that "nobody may obstruct the work of state bodies because of their party stands," while Kostunica said that the Serbian parliament speaker had the constitutional obligation to schedule a parliament session because the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty was threatened.

BELGRADE, Feb 6 (Tanjug) - Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said late on Wednesday that, since the European Union had jeopardised Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, the Serbian parliament speaker had the constitutional obligation urgently to call a parliament session, before Kosovo Albanian separatists declared unilateral independence with the US and EU support. He said that the "opinion of the government, which is obviously deeply divided regarding this issue, is not necessary in order to schedule a parliament session." The prime minister's statement issued on the occasion of Serbian President Boris Tadic's call to the prime minister to schedule a regular government session stressed that the European Union had directly threatened Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity through its decision illegally to send a mission to Kosovo-Metohija with the aim of implementing the Ahtisaari plan on the supervised independence of the province. Kostunica said that the European Union had simultaneously offered to Serbia to sign a political agreement, which meant that the European Union was taking 15 percent of Serbia's territory under one act and offering a political agreement under another. "I am convinced that each Serbian citizen can see that this is a ruthless blackmail of the European Union and that Serbia's signature on the offered political agreement would be the signature for the independence of Kosovo," Kostunica said. "That's why a parliament session needs to be called immediately in order for the MPs to vote on the EU decision to send a mission to Kosovo-Metohija," he said. He stressed that because Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity had been violated, Serbian parliament speaker Oliver Dulic had the obligation urgently to call a Serbian parliament session.

BELGRADE, Feb 6 (Tanjug) - A Serbian government session has not been called for Thursday, February 7, the Serbian government said in a statement on Wednesday. Serbian President Boris Tadic earlier requested from the prime minister to schedule the session and said that "nobody may obstruct the work of state bodies because of their party stands." Earlier on Wednesday, Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic and 16 ministers, members of the Democratic Party, G17 Plus and Sandzak Democratic Party, requested the scheduling of a government session. The deputy prime minister's office said in a statement that at the session the government should take a stand on the provisional political agreement with the European Union at the session. Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica on Wednesday warned of the danger from destabilisation of the political situation in Serbia and said that the most serious form of destabilisation is "the obstruction of the work of the National Assembly, the relativisation and failure to respect its acts, in particular the resolutions adopted in keeping with the Constitution and international law, which pertain to the protection of the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Serbia."

BELGRADE, Feb 6 (Tanjug) - The Serbian government's Secretariat-General has informed the ministers in writing that the Serbian government will not hold a session on Thursday and that the prime minister, in keeping with his authority, will schedule the next session after a special parliament session. The letter, a copy of which was sent to Tanjug, said that the government would not hold a session on February 7 and that under the Serbian government's Rules of Procedure, the prime minister should, as a rule, schedule the session in writing 24 hours in advance. The Secretariat-General said that at the government's proposal, the Serbian parliament had adopted a resolution on the protection of sovereignty, territorial integrity and constitutional order of Serbia, which says, among other things, that the establishment of an EU mission for the implementation of the rejected Ahtisaari plan would threaten Serbia's sovereignty, territorial integrity and constitutional order. The letter said that the resolution called upon the government to make an agreement with the European Union that its mission could not arrive in the Serbian territory, Kosovo-Metohija, without an appropriate UN Security Council decision and instructed the government that all international agreements concluded by Serbia, including the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, had to be in the service of preservation of the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Secretariat-General recalled that a group of MPs had made a motion for the holding of a special Serbian parliament session for the purpose of a vote on an EU decision on the illegal sending of a mission to Kosovo-Metohija.

BELGRADE, Feb 7 (Tanjug) - Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica will call a session of the government for next Thursday, February 14, his advisor announced. "We have enough time until then to hold a session of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, at which the decision of the EU to illegally send its mission for the implementation of Kosovo-Metohija unilateral independence will be discussed," he told Tanjug. There is also plenty of time till February 14 to overcome the present crisis within the ruling coalition, he added. "If required, the government can resolve certain issues that may present itself before February 14 at its phone sessions, just like it has already been the practice up to now," he said. Commenting on the stands of EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn, he said that it was very important to bear in mind the fact that Rehn was unequivocally advocating unilateral independence of Kosovo and Metohija, and that he was calling for the illegal sending of an EU mission for the realisation of the rejected Martti Ahtisaari plan.

BELGRADE, Feb 7 (Tanjug) - The Serbian government will hold a telephone session today in which the ministers will only vote on the sell off of the Bor mining and smelting basin (RTB). The RTB Bor will be the only item on the agenda of the telephone session. The Serbian government needs to approve an agreement with Austria's company, which has placed its offer. Due to the institutional crisis in Serbia, the regular Thursday session of the government had not been called. Under the Rules of Procedure of the Serbian government, the prime minister is the only authorized person to call its sessions.

BELGRADE, Feb 6 (Tanjug) - Serbian parliament Speaker Oliver Dulic on Wednesday called on Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica to call a government session as soon as possible so that it could send its required stand to parliament and thus enable the scheduling of an urgent parliament session. In a statement sent to news agencies, Dulic said that he is prepared to schedule an urgent session in the shortest possible time, as soon as the government assumes a position with regards the signing of the political agreement proposed by the EU and the deployment of a EU mission to Kosovo and Metohija. "After this is done, I am ready to act in the shortest possible period and schedule a parliament session on these topics," Dulic stated. He recalled that, according to the Constitution, the Serbian government determines and conducts the country's foreign and domestic policies. "This is why it is necessary for the government to speedily assume a position with regards the signing of the political agreement, proposed by the EU, and the sending of an EU mission to Kosovo and Metohija," Dulic pointed out. He recalled that, in keeping with the parliament's Standing Orders and the parliamentary practice so far, it is impossible to schedule a session on such major issues without an official government position. "Since we all want the stabilization of the political situation in the country, I am urging the Premier to schedule a government session as soon as possible, in order to send the required opinion to parliament," Dulic set out. He added that he also agrees with Kostunica's view that the destabilization of the political situation in the country is the biggest threat to the protection and preservation of the constitutional order.

BELGRADE, Feb 7 (Tanjug) - Serbian parliament President Oliver Dulic on Thursday stated that he is ready to set the date of a parliament session to discuss the signing of the political agreement proposed by the European Union in consultations with parliament whips on February 11. Dulic urged the prime minister to call a government session before that date in order to forward to the parliament an official opinion on the issue, Dulic said in a statement released by his cabinet. "I remind that it is impossible to start a parliament session without such an opinion. I am confident that this is the right way to solve the misunderstandings and overcome the crisis that we are in, and that all political actors will give their contribution without giving priority to their party interests," said Dulic.

BELGRADE, Feb 7 (Tanjug) - The Serbian government is suffering the most serious crisis ever since it was first set up, and right now its fall is the most realistic solution, Minister of Labour and Social Policy Rasim Ljajic has said."There are only two rational ways out of this crisis - the first and the best is an agreement of the parties of the ruling coalition, since, in spite of all the differences, it is the political stability of Serbia that is the most important at this moment. The second way out is an agreement on early parliamentary elections. Any other solution would cause huge political upheavals with unforeseeable consequences," Ljajic said in an interview for the Thursday issue of the Belgrade daily Vecernje Novosti.Asked what the most realistic option was right now, Ljajic answered: "Unfortunately, I think that it is the fall of the government."He explained that any other solution, that would cause major consequences, implied the setting up of a minority government of the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) and New Serbia (NS) with the support of the Radicals.

BELGRADE, Feb 7 (Tanjug) - Minister for Trade and Services Predrag Bubalo on Thursday stated that there is no reason for the Serbian government to fall, adding that it is still unknown when the government will hold its next session. Bubalo underscored at the opening of the Brand Fair at the Belgrade Fair that due to the current political situation there will be no short-term economic consequences, and that in the long run it remains to be seen, because it will depend on solutions that will be found. When asked by journalists whether an early parliamentary election will be held, Bubalo replied that it is a party question.

Belgrade, Feb 6 (Tanjug) - Serbian Democratic Party vice president Aleksandar Popovic said on Wednesday that the Serbian government "did not fall" and that Serbian parliament will have a say on the political accord offered by the EU to Serbia. Popovic said that the political accord offered by the EU to Serbia was a "serious issue" and that at this point there was no issue that is more important than territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country. "There is no issue that is more important for the state than the issue of its territorial integrity and sovereignty," Popovic told reporters in a break of a seminar devoted to energy issues. He recalled that the Serbian Assembly had adopted a resolution with a clear position that the sending of a EU Mission to Kosovo and Metohija was an act that undermines the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country.

BELGRADE, Feb 6 (Tanjug) - NBS Governor Radovan Jelasic cautioned that Serbia's economic prospects in 2008 were under the strong influence of a series of non economic factors, including political uncertainty in the country and pointed out that Wednesday's raising of the reference interest rate to 10.75 pct was aimed at cutting public sector expenditure. Speaking about the prospects of Serbia's economy, Jelasic pointed out that it was under the strong influence of external factors, such as turbulences on the world markets of commodities, money, capital and meteorological conditions, while political uncertainty in the country is one of the internal factors. The NBS governor assessed that Wednesday's reference interest rate increase should not lead to a higher cost of borrowing for citizens, although he conceded that banks now have a justification to raise interest rates. The NBS governor said that the banks in his view, notwithstanding the NBS reference interest rate of 10.75 pct, will not raise interest rates as that would undermine their position and diminish their market competitiveness.

LONDON, Feb 7 (Tanjug) - Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic has said that Serbia opposed the sending of European mission to Kosovo and Metohija without adequate legal basis, but that this does not call into question the European Union's engagement in Serbia. "Serbia opposes the sending of a European mission without adequate legal basis for such a mission. Let me recall that at no point did we call into question our positive position in regard to a deeper and more active engagement of the European Union in Serbia, and also in our southern province," Jeremic said in an interview with the BBC. "In our view, it is necessary to achieve a valid legal basis for sending the mission and it is our strong position and belief that it can be achieved only be means of a decision adopted in the Security Council," he added. However, Jeremic pointed out that issues of determining the future status of Kosovo and Metohija and the issue of Serbia's European integration are two separate processes on two parallel tracks. "We have to fight for the realization of our national interests on both tracks, without interrupting the two tracks, and accordingly we are continuing to do absolutely everything in our legal, political and diplomatic power to preserve the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country," Jeremic said.

BRUSSELS, Feb 7 (Tanjug) - Slovenia's presidency of the European Union on Thursday expressed its hope that Serbia would soon give a positive reply to the Union's offer to sign a political agreement proposed on January 28, which would enable signing of the agreement in the coming days. The Presidency said in a statement that Serbia had informed the EU Presidency that it needs "additional time to implement all of the necessary internal procedures that would enable it to sign the agreement." The Presidency underscored that the EU is ready to sign the provisional political agreement with Serbia and hopes that Serbia will soon give a positive reply to Europe's offer, which would enable it to sign the agreement in the coming says, the statement read. It was announced in Brussels on Wednesday that the signing of the provisional political agreement between the EU and Serbia had been postponed. EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn clarified that the signing of the political agreement had been postponed until further notice due to the disagreements within the ruling coalition in Serbia, but he underscored that the offer is still valid and that Belgrade may accept it whenever it decides so.

BRUSSELS, Feb 6 (Tanjug) - The European Parliament's rapporteur for Serbia, Jelko Kacin, on Feb. 6 voiced great disappointment over the delay in signing a political agreement between Serbia and the EU, saying that Serbia was on the verge of selfisolation. "It is a great disappointment that Serbia, just days after the victory of proEuropean Boris Tadic in the presidential election, is on the brink of selfisolation," Kacin said in a news release. The news release adds that "the majority of Serbian citizens in the Sunday (Feb. 3) election chose the country's European path," which is why the politicians in Belgrade "would do the most for Serbia and its citizens if they immediately continued and accelerated Serbia's association with the EU." He also said he hoped the current situation would be overcome as soon as possible, and that "the political agreement" between Serbia and the EU would be signed "in the future."

BRUSSELS, Feb 7 (Tanjug) - Serbian Culture Minister Vojislav Brajovic and European Commission officials signed in Brussels on Wednesday a Memorandum of Understanding between the EU and Serbia on Serbia's participation in the Culture Programme (2007-2013). "This agreement is valuable for the culture policy in our country," Minister Brajovic told Tanjug, underscoring that it will refer to all segments of culture except cinematography and television, which are already covered by special agreements. Brajovic underscored that Serbian institutions will, for the first time, be able to take an equal part in competitions in the area of culture. The total fund of the program amounts to EUR 400 million.

BELGRADE, Feb 6 (Beta) - An official of the South East Europe Stability Pact, Goran Svilanovic, said on Feb. 6 that to postpone signing the political agreement could mean that no agreement will be signed with the European Union during the current government's mandate. Svilanovic told Radio BETARFI that, in this case, the signing of this agreement with the EU would have to wait till after the next parliamentary elections, which could be held in the next few months."The fact is that we shall lose another year. I would like to be able to say that this is the last year we shall lose regarding relations with the EU, without getting closer to solving any of the other problems we have, including Kosovo," said Svilanovic, who used to be the foreign minister of SerbiaMontenegro.According to Svilanovic, not signing the agreement means either that the government is still under the control of the Democratic Party of Serbia, or that no agreement on this issue has been reached and that parliamentary elections will be scheduled.

BELGRADE, Feb 6 (Tanjug) - Serbian Education Minister Zoran Loncar on Wednesday strongly condemned a statement by Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel on the arrival of the EU mission to Kosovo and Metohija, describing it as "unexplicable unscrupulousness." Loncar told Tanjug that this represents "the implementation of the policy of force via Slovenia which, as a country, is everything but a force." Loncar explained that Rupel said that Slovenia would recognize the unilateral independence of Kosovo, that the EU has adopted the necessary decision on sending a mission for the implementation of the unilateral independence of the province and that it would sign the political agreement with Serbia on behalf of the EU. "After all, Rupel will not have the opportunity to sign the agreement with Serbia, because in Serbia everyone knows that this would in fact be a signature for the independence of Kosovo," Loncar underscored.

BELGRADE/FREIBURG, Feb 6 (Tanjug) - Legal adviser of Belgrade's negotiations team on Kosovo issue, Thomas Fleiner, dismissed in a statement to Tanjug the argument of European diplomats that a legal basis for sending a EU mission to Kosovo could be found in article 10 of UN Security Council Resolution 1244. Article 10 authorises the UN secretary general to establish, along with relevant international organizations, an international civilian presence in Kosovo so as to secure a transitional administration with which the people of Kosovo could enjoy essential autonomy within the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the Swiss professor recalled. Fleiner, in a statement to Tanjug, explained that article 10 calls for essential autonomy of Kosovo within Yugoslavia, now its legal successor Serbia, and that Kosovo, if it declares independence, "will by so doing reject Resolution 1244 because it does not want essential autonomy." According to him, that means that every international mission in Kosovo has to be linked to the essential autonomy of the province, and "in no way to the possible or even likely declaration of independence" of the province. The EU has made it cleat that it is sending a mission within preparations for the independence of Kosovo, which would constitute a violation of Resolution 1244 article 10, said Fleiner, who si a professor of law at Freiburg University. The Swiss expert in international law pointed out that Resolution 1244 also requires "the full cooperation of FRY in its implementation," or that one of the partner parties responsible for implementing the solution prescribed by the resolution is FRY, or its legal successor Serbia. That means that all matters relating to the implementation of the resolution have to be done in cooperation with the chief partner. Once Kosovo becomes an illegal independent state, states that are supposed to cooperate in the implementation of the resolution will no longer have a partner with whom they can cooperate, the Swiss professor said in conclusion.

BRUSSELS, Feb 6 (Tanjug) - Russia is convinced that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will not approve the sending of an EU mission to Kosovo-Metohija, because the EU would thus violate Resolution 1244, Russian Ambassador to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov said in Brussels on Wednesday. Asked by Tanjug about Ban's possible role in the "coordination of (Kosovo's) independence" with the European Union, Chizhov said that Russia did not expect the UN secretary general to make such a decision. He will do nothing that would make legitimate activities violating Resolution 1244, the Russian ambassador said and added that he was confident that Ban was aware of the complexity of the situation. An EU police and judicial mission is definitely impossible, Chizhov said.

MOSCOW, Feb 7 (Tanjug) - Russia is viewing the European Union decision to send a civilian-police mission to Kosovo and Metohija as an element in the scenario for a unilateral declaration of independence of the province, Russian Foreign Ministry official Alexander Botsan Kharchenko told Tanjug on Thursday. Pointing out that the EU was conducting a procedure to take a decision for sending the mission, Botsan-Kharchenko said that Moscow viewed it "as part of measures aimed at realising a scenario plan for a unilateral declaration of independence of Kosovo." Such a scenario would have "the gravest consequences for the international community," cautioned Russia's former representative in the Contact Group's mediation troika for negotiations on the status of Kosovo-Metohija. Russian permanent representative with the EU Vladimir Chizov said Wednesday evening in Brussels that the sending of a mission would "practically mean a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1244" and that, in the event that European countries recognise the independence of Kosovo, there would be negative consequences for the Russian-EU dialogue.

PRISTINA, Feb 7 (Tanjug) - Members and supporters of the Movement for Self-Determination, whose leader is Aljbin Kurti, on Wednesday wrote graffiti against arrival of the European Union mission in Kosovo and Metohija on walls of public institutions and apartment buildings. The Movement said in a statement released on the occasion of the activity that the EU mission is another UNMIK, whose political force will directly serve to limit our freedoms. The Movement underscored that judging by its authorization, the mission will be more strict in controlling the political and life in general in Kosovo.

BRUSSELS, Feb 6 (Tanjug) - Unilateral or coordinated independence of Kosovo would be pointless because Kosovo could never become a member of the United Nations, OSCE or Council of Europe, i.e. it would not gain anything more than it could have if Pristina had accepted Serbia's proposals on "essential autonomy," Russian Ambassador to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov said in Brussels on Wednesday. Independent Kosovo might perhaps make some links with international institutions, such as the World Bank of International Monetary Fund, but it would gain nothing more than what Belgrade offered it during the status negotiations, the Russian ambassador said.

BRUSSELS, Feb 7 (Tanjug) - Russia is getting more concerned over the developments regarding Kosovo and it does not give up hope that, with the help of all available diplomatic means, it will be able to prevent the announced independence of Kosovo and Metohija which is coordinated by Pristine, the United States and the member countries of the European Union, Russian Ambassador to the EU Chizov said. He underlined that the reason for Moscow's concern were also the statements by newly-appointed Kosovo Premier Hasim Taci that he was only waiting for the "green light" of Brussels and Washington to proclaim independence.We do not give up hope that we will prevent the planned course of events, Chizov said and added that Moscow would use all available diplomatic means to that effect.He assessed that the recognition of Kosovo independence would be a thorn in the side as regards the relations between Russia and the EU member states that would acknowledge it, as well as that it would have huge consequences in regard to international order.

Tokyo, Jan 6 (Beta) - Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha said on Feb. 6 that the independence of Kosovo was key for regional stability, reiterating that Tirana would recognize Kosovo "in coordination with the EU and the U.S." "The final status of Kosovo is key for peace and stability in the region," and "Kosovo's independence will be very important" in that sense, the Albanian prime minister told a news conference during a visit to Tokyo.He once again denied that Tirana was planning to merge the northern neighbor, and added that it was "in the interest of Serbia, Albania and other countries of the world to accept international borders, when Kosovo proclaims independence."

PRISTINA, Jan 6 (Tanjug) - UNMIK will request form UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon additional instructions how to react in the event that Kosovo institutions declare independence, said on Wednesday UNMIK spokesman in Pristina Alexander Ivanko. UNMIK is ready for that day. We have an operational plan and are ready to react, but for the time being there is no danger on the ground, Ivanko said in a press conference in Pristina. Ivanko reminded that UNMIK and Contact Group members had sent several diplomatic notes to the Serbian government, relating to the opening of a Ministry for Kosovo and Metohija office in the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica. The UNMIK spokesman announced that the problem would be resolved by way of diplomacy.

PRISTINA, Feb 6 (Tanjug) - UNMIK police will not step up the number of its forces in Kosovo because of announcements of political representatives of Kosovo Albanians that they will declare independence, the head of the Press Service of the UNMIK police commissioner's office said on Wednesday. In a statement for Tanjug, he said that additional UNMIK police patrols had been deployed only in Kosovska Mitrovica and only for the purpose of strengthening cooperation with the Kosovo Police Service. Early in February UNMIK police deployed additional 40 members in northern Kosovo, stating that this was assistance to existing police forces in the Serb-populated part of the province. Before that, KFOR deployed 560 Italian troops in northern Kosovo and these operational military forces will be stationed in northern Kosovo in the next four months. Serbs oppose unilateral moves of declaration of the province's status, but say they will not make any radical moves. Due to announcements that the Kosovo parliament will declare independence in mid-Feb, the Press Service head said that UNMIK police would not increase the number of its members on the ground even then.

BELGRADE, Feb 6 (Tanjug) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday sent sincere felicitations to Serbian President Boris Tadic on his re-election for a second term of office, expressing Russia's intention to continue close cooperation with Serbia in the resolution of topical international and regional issues. Pointing out that mutualy useful cooperation between the two countries has expanded in the past years, Putin said that the characteristic of Russian - Serb relations is an intensive political dialogue marked by a high degree of trust, Tadic's press service said. The trade and economic ties are strengthening and this is best reflected in the signing, during your recent visit to Moscow, of bilateral documents in the energy sphere which have set the foundations for a strategic partnership in that sphere, Putin said. We intend to continue the close coordination of the approach to the resolution of current international and regional issues, starting from the need for the consistent strengthening of the international and legal bases of the contemporary world order in the interest of overall stability and security, Putin said in his felicitations.

BELGRADE, Feb 6 (Tanjug) - The Serbian Defense Ministry on Thursday stated that a plan for bilateral military cooperation in 2008 was signed with Norway which will provide for the continuation of the successful cooperation in the area of defense. Norway is one of the biggest donor country in the area of Serbia's defense system reform, and its direct donations amounted to over EUR 2.5 million in the past two years, it was said in the statement. Milorad Peric, International Military Cooperation Chief of the Serbian Defense Ministry, and Norway's Military Attache in Serbia Col. Terje Haverstad signed the plan.