Belgrade, 08. 05. 2008.

SERBIA - EU

• BARROT PRESENTS ROADMAP FOR ABOLISHMENT OF VISAS
• TADIC: STRONG MESSAGE THAT SERBIA SHOULD JOIN EU
• TADIC: TRANSPORTATION LINKS CONDITION FOR MORE INVESTMENTS
• DJELIC: VISAS ABOLISHMENT FOR SERBIAN CITIZENS BY END OF 2008
• MADRID: SAA DOES NOT ENVISAGE RECOGNITION OF KOSOVO
• KONUZIN: CONDITIONS FOR EU INTEGRATION MUST BE IN LINE WITH INTERESTS

• TADIC CONGRATULATES MEDVEDEV ON TAKING OFFICE
• NOTE OF PROTEST SENT TO LITHUANIA DUE TO KOSOVO RECOGNITION
• NEW CONVOCATION SHOULD DISCUSS ENERGY AGREEMENT
• DULIC, MICUNOVIC MEET SWISS PARLIAMENT DELEGATION
• SUTANOVAC: CEPOTINA BASE TO BE FINALIZED BY YEAR'S END
• WB PREPARES EUR50 MILLION CREDIT FOR NIP
• DINKIC OFFERS JOINT-INVESTMENT MODEL TO MERCEDES

• IVANKO: SERBIAN VOTE IN KOSOVO IS ILLEGITIMATE
• FEITH SAYS EULEX TO TAKE OVER ALL RESPONSIBILITY ON JUNE 15.

BELGRADE, May 7 (Tanjug) - European Commission Vice President Jacques Barrot presented in Belgrade on Wednesday to Serbian President Boris Tadic the EU plan for the liberalization of the visa regime for Serbian citizens, stressing that this was a clear proof of the EU will to make concrete the EU perspective offered to Serbia. Barrot said that the speedy completion of the roadmap for the abolishment of the visa regime with Serbia was a convincing and concrete sign of the EU political support to Serbia and completion of the first phase of dialogue on visas.

The plan for the liberalization of the visa regime made by the European Commission and approved by member-states is a document that suits Serbia's specific needs, Barrot said and added that it should enable Serbia to focus its efforts towards the implementation of necessary reforms in order for the visas to be abolished for Serbian citizens. He said that the plan described in detail a series of measures to be implemented in passport security, efficient control of external borders, fight against illegal immigration, fight against organized crime and corruption and observation of democratic values and basic rights. He said he was confident that Serbia was capable of progressing quickly on the road it had traced with the aim of getting closer to the European Union. He closed his address to reporters by saying in Serbian: "Serbian citizens are welcome to the family of Europe."

Tadic said at the ceremony that the plan for the liberalization of the visa regime with the European Union was a strong message to citizens that Serbia should become an EU member and that its members were welcome. The Serbian president voiced his expectation that France, like the next state to preside the European Union, would have understanding for Serbia's aspirations and its strategic goal to become an EU member at the end of the next government's term of office. "We regard this document as a big act of freedom, which contributes to the freedom of movement, thought and communication," said Tadic after the EC vice president presented to him the plan for the liberalization of the visa regime. When Serbia signed the Stabilization and Association Agreement, it became an associate member of the European Union and it unequivocally traced its path, the Serbian president said and voiced his expectation that the European Union would give considerable financial assistance in the realization of infrastructure projects in Serbia. He said that Serbia was determined to meet all obligations envisaged under the visa liberalization plan as soon as possible, to enable citizens to travel to EU member-states without any obstacles as soon as next year.

BELGRADE, May 7 (Tanjug) - Serbian President Boris Tadic on Wednesday stated that the plan for the visa regime liberalization with the European Union is a strong message to the citizens that Serbia should become a member of the EU and that its citizens are welcome.

At an official ceremony of handing the EU plan for the liberalization of the visa regime with Serbia, Tadic expressed his expectations that France, as the next country to hold the Union Presidency, have understanding for Serbia's aspirations and its strategic goal to become a member state of the EU at the end of the mandate of its next government. According to him, the fact that Serbia had managed to harmonize the plan for the liberalization of the visa regime in three months only is an evidence of its great administrative capacity to move closer to the EU. "We find the document to be a great act of liberty, which contributes to the freedom of movement, opinion and communication," underscored Tadic after receiving the document from European Union Vice-President Jacques Barrot.

BELGRADE, May 7 (Tanjug) - Serbian President Boris Tadic said on Wednesday that he expects that the integration of transportation in southeastern Europe, which the European Union (EU) also advocates, will pave the way for bigger investments in the region, and that the planned joint transportation agreement will provide strong impetus to the development of river transportation along the Danube and the Sava.

Speaking at the opening of an international ministerial conference on transportation held on the occasion of the onset of negotiations on the concluding of a contract on a transportation community of the EU with countries of southeastern Europe, Tadic underscored that he is confident the improved transportation linking of these countries will enable investments, stronger economic development, and greater employment in the regional countries. Serbia plans to complete the highway along Corridor 10 toward Bulgaria and Macedonia and from the border with Hungary toward central Serbia. There is also the reconstruction of the Belgrade-Bar railway line, as well as the construction of the highway toward the border with Montenegro, Tadic said. An ambitious project is also being developed for the construction of a navigable channel linking the Danube, the Velika Morava, the Vardar, and the Greek port-city of Thessaloniki, he said. Furthermore, the fact that the South Stream gas pipeline will pass through Serbia is also of major importance, as this will be accompanied by the building of new capacities for the gas supply, Tadic said. Financial support from the EU is required for all these projects, the Serbian president stressed.

EU Commissioner in charge of transportation Jacques Barrot underscored that the agreement on a transportation community in southeastern Europe, on whose realization work is already under way, should promote the transportation system and the mobility of transportation. Emphasis will be placed also on the idea to shift a part of the traffic from roads and railways to river transportation, the commissioner said. The Danube is the blue artery not only of this region, but of entire Europe, Barrot said.

The ministerial conference was organized by the Slovenian Ministry of Transportation, the Serbian Ministry of Infrastrutcure, the South-East Europe Transport Observatory (SEETO), and the European Commission (EC). As it was heard at the conference, the objective of the contract on the transportation community is to set up a unique market with infrastructure for road, railway and maritime transportation, as well as for navigation on continental waters with the countries of southeastern Europe.

BELGRADE, May 7 (Tanjug) - Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic assessed on Wednesday that after the today's handing the EU plan for the visa regime liberalization with the European Union it is realistic that visas for our citizens be abolished by the end of the year.

At an official ceremony of handing the EU plan held at the Palace of Serbia, Djelic said that it is up to Serbia to meet terms of the document for the abolishment of visas and recalled that same as we succeeded to sign the Stabilization and Association Agreement, we will fulfill all the conditions for abolishing visas by the end of this year. He recalled that 17 EU member-states decided on Tuesday, at the initiative of France, to expand the regime of free visas to include Serbian citizens as well.

Djelic expects that all countries of the Schengen zone will join this initiative soon. "Our goal is not to abolish taxes on visas, but rather to abolish visas for our citizens," the deputy prime minister said.

MADRID, May 07 (Beta) - Spain believes that the signature of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) between Serbia and the EU does not in any way imply indirect recognition of Kosovo's independence, Spanish Foreign Ministry officials told BETA in Madrid on May 7.

A ministry spokesman pointed out that in the EU, Spain supported the signing of the SAA with Serbia, "proceeding from the full implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1244."

The resolution, as he put it, "clearly indicates Serbia's territorial integrity" and is still in effect. Stressing that "signing the SAA with Serbia in no way envisages the indirect recognition of Kosovo," the spokesman also said that signing the agreement "was also backed by the EU members, which, like Spain, do not recognize the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo."

BELGRADE, May 7 (Tanjug) - Russian Ambassador in Belgrade Alexander Konuzin said on Wednesday that the conditions for Serbia's EU integration must not be opposed to the country's interests. "Russia has always believed that the European Union can play a major role in helping solve the issue of the Balkans, especially Serbia," Konuzin told Tanjug in a statement.

Noting that Russia saw the importance which Serbia's EU accession had for Serbia, he said that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had addressed this very issue at a news conference after the Russia-EU Council of Ministers meeting in Luxembourg, when he said that numerous problems could have been avoided if Europe had expressed its initiative towards Serbia earlier. "Indeed, if in addition to the declaration of Serbia's European perspective in Brussels, time had not been lost and if the resolution of the Kosovo issue had been included in this perspective, the illegal declaration of independence of the province would have been avoided as would the awkward attempts to justify it and impose by force this illegal solution, i.e. direct violation of the Bible of modern international relations - the UN Charter," the Russian ambassador said.

Saying that Belgrade and the European Union initialed the Stabilization and Association Agreement in November 2007, Konuzin recalled that the mutually acceptable text of the document, as far as Russia understood, had been a result of a strenuous but equal dialogue with mutual respect. He said, however, that the situation had visibly changed by the time when the Agreement was signed. "Most EU members recognized the unilateral declaration of independence of Pristina. The proposal on including in the text corrections in the direction of support to Serbia's territorial integrity was ignored. And it has now become clear why. Some EU member-states tacitly and some even openly start from the position that the SAA does not refer to Kosovo," Konuzin said. Is such an understanding in line with Belgrade's approach, Konuzin wondered and said that Serbs themselves had to decide on this. "I want to stress once again - Russia does not oppose Serbia's EU membership. Good luck! But the conditions of integration must not clash with the country's interests and divide the Serbian society," the ambassador said.

BELGRADE, May 8 (Tanjug) - Serbian President Boris Tadic congratulated on Wednesday Dmirty Medvedev on taking the office of president of the Russian Federation and wished him a lot of success in performing that responsible duty.

Tadic expressed belief that the cooperation between Serbia and Russia and their presidents would be further deepened and strengthened to the welfare of the people of those two friendly countries. For the development of our economic relations, it is of particular importance that we realize the signed arrangements and the achieved agreements, particularly in the field of energy and trade, President Tadic said in the message of congratulation.

BELGRADE, May 8 (Tanjug) - The Serbian Foreign Ministry sent on Wednesday a note of protest to the government in Lithuania on the occasion of the country's recognition of the unilateral proclamation of Kosovo independence.

The note conveys the position of the Serbian government and its refusal to accept the illegal unilateral declaration of Kosovo-Metohija independence, and points to the possible consequences such an illegal act may have in the field of security. In the note of protest which was sent to the Lithuanian authorities, it is pointed out that the unilateral proclamation of Kosovo-Metohija independence represents a serious violation of international law and that Serbia calls the countries that have recognized the independence to reexamine their position, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

BELGRADE, May 7 (Tanjug) - Speaker of the Serbian Parliament Oliver Dulic and newly-appointed Ambassador of the Russian Federation Alexander Konuzin agreed on Wednesday that the new convocation of the Serbian parliament, after its setting up, should promptly discuss the energy agreement between Serbia and the Russian Federation.

Dulic thanked Russia on its principled stand regarding the issue of the final status of Kosovo-Metohija and backed the continuation of the negotiations with the aim of finding a just solution, the office of the Serbian President said in a statement. Kounuzin backed the continuation of Serbia's European integration, assessing that the Kosovo issue would have been resolved differently had Serbia joined the European Union earlier.

BELGRADE, May 07 (Beta) - Serbian Parliament speaker Oliver Dulic met with a delegation of the Swiss Parliament's Foreign Policy Committee on May 7. Dulic informed the guests about the Serbian parliament's work and expressed the hope that the new parliament would continue to work on European integrations.

Dulic noted that bilateral relations were being hindered by Switzerland's recognition of the illegally declared Kosovo independence, but stressed that the two countries should still continue economic cooperation and develop their traditionally good ties.

In a meeting with Swiss colleagues, the head of the Serbian Parliament's Foreign Policy Committee, Dragoljub Micunovic, said Serbia wished to preserve its territorial integrity and sovereignty over its entire territory, but added that Belgrade was also dedicated to continuing European integrations.

Defense Minister Dragan Sutanovac on May 7 said the Cepotina military base, near Bujanovac, would be finalized by late summer and would admit personnel by the end of the year.

"We are determined to finalize the complex by the end of the summer, because it is a strategic facility for southern Serbia and also for the entire country," Sutanovac told the press while touring the base.

Sutanovac further said that he expected Cepotina to be a wellequipped, modern base, where professional soldiers would have all the necessary living and working conditions.

BELGRADE, May 07 (Beta) - The World Bank (WB) has prepared a EUR50 million credit for projects in Serbia financed from the National Investment Plan (NIP), the director of the World Bank's office in Serbia, Simon Grey, announced on May 7.

The credit is to be approved by the WB Board of Directors, and then ratified by the new convocation of the Serbian Parliament, in order to be used by the end of this year.

Speaking at a news conference in the Serbian government, Grey said the World Bank is satisfied with the way in which the Office for the NIP has used the assistance in money and the know-how the financial institution had provided for a number of projects.

He stressed that the WB has also helped with the preparation of projects that are financed from the NIP, as well as in the control of the implementation of these projects.

The Serbian minister without portfolio in charge of the NIP, Dragan Djilas, thanked the WB for its help in conducting significant investment projects in Serbia, and he underlined that the competition for new projects is open until May 15.

BELGRADE, May 7 (Tanjug) - A Mercedes Benz delegation headed by the company's CEO for Serbia and Montenegro Stavros Paraskevaides met on Wednesday with Serbian Minister of Economy and Regional Development Mladjan Dinkic and discussed the possibilities of investing in Serbia.

They discussed the possibilities of investing in a form of greenfield investments, that is the construction of a new car factory, as well as about possible strategic cooperation between Mercedes and motor vehicle manufacturer FAP from Priboj in the production of trucks. Considering the previous, years long cooperation between Mercedes and FAP, Dinkic proposed to the delegation the setting up a new strategic partnership between the two factories, according to the joint-investment model that has already been successfully agreed between Zastava and Fiat.

He pointed out that the conditions Serbia is willing to offer to world companies for investing into its motor industry are far more favorable than those offered by Romania, Hungary, Czech Republic and Poland and voiced belief that Serbia will become the center of automobile industry in South East Europe.

PRISTINA, May 07 (Beta) - UNMIK spokesman Alexander Ivanko on May 7 described as illegitimate the elections that Serbia would hold in Kosovo on May 11, but he added that UNMIK had no intention of preventing the vote.

"We believe that these elections are not legitimate and have no legal value, regardless of the turnout," Ivanko told a news conference in Pristina.

He further said a large number of Serbs, especially in northern Kosovo, would definitely cast ballots, but added that UNMIK has contradictory information about the participation of the Serbs from southern Kosovo.

"As you can imagine, I do not think that it would be a great idea to forcibly prevent the vote from taking place, because no one wants that. We have taken a clear political stand that the vote is not valid and has no legitimacy in Kosovo," Ivanko explained.

According to Ivanko, UNMIK has informed the Kosovo government about its position.

"We also have support from important international partners," the UNMIK spokesman added.

PRISTINA, May 07 (Beta) - Pieter Feith, chief of the EU's mission to Kosovo, EULEX, said in Pristina on May 7 that the mission would take over all responsibility in Kosovo as of June 15, according to international mediator Martti Ahtisaari's plan.

After a meeting with Swedish Defense Minister Sten Tolgfors, Feith said that he had thanked the Swedish minister for his support to the EULEX office in Pristina.

Feith also said that the mission he is heading and Sweden are determined to implement the plan for Kosovo's status and build a democratic, multiethnic society, in which human rights will be respected.

"I believe that Sweden will continue to advice and support the International Civil Office in taking over all responsibility on June 15," Feith added.