LJAJIC: SUFFICIENT PROGRESS ACHIEVED WITH HAGUE TRIBUNAL

BELGRADE, Jan 8 (Tanjug) - The president of the National Council for Cooperation With the Hague Tribunal, Rasim Ljajic, said Tuesday that Serbia has so far achieved "sufficient progress" in cooperation with the tribunal, thus practically creating conditions for the signing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with the European Union. Commenting a statement by EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn that Serbia should fulfill the condition of full cooperation with The Hague tribunal before signing the SAA, Ljajic told Tanjug that the Serbian authorities are fully aware that the country will have to face this, as he described it, obstacle to full cooperation with The Hague on its path towards european integrations. "All this will be discussed during our first meeting with the new Hague chief prosecutor, Serge Brammertz, whose previously planned visit to Belgrade for January, has been postponed for February," Ljajic stated. "This will be an opportunity to inform the chief prosecutor about everything that has been achieved so far and about our plans for the coming period," Ljajic stated. Today, Rehn said in Brdo Pri Kranju, in Slovenia, that it is necessary for all in Serbia to understand that this condition remains and that it is of essential importance for the signing of the SAA. Brammertz, who on Jan 1 officially assumed his duties, said that the tribunal is waiting for the remaining four Hague fugatives: Ratko Mladic, Radovan Karadzic, Stojan Zupljaninc and Goran Hadzic. Earlier, Ljajic said that Serbia has handed over to the tribunal 21 of the 24 indictees and that its obligation to hand over Mladic, Zupljanin and Hadzic remains, while the handing over of Karadzic is not solely Serbia's obligation.

BELGRADE, Jan 8 (Tanjug) - Serbia is waiting to hear the response of the European Union whether on January 28 it will choose to to sign the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) or decide to send its mission for the breakup of Serbia, said on Tuesday Serbian government Minister Aleksandar Popovic. "Should the European Union betray the fundamental principles on which it is based and decide to violate the UN Charter and Security Council Resolution 1244, and illegally send its mission for creating a puppet, quasi state entity at this point, it is quite clear, the agreement with Serbia no longer exists," Popovic told Tanjug. He pointed out that for Serbia "the freedom of the state stands above everything and above any interest" and the European Union, if it wants a partnership with Serbia, will have to respect that. "The European Union can sign the agreement only with the whole of, not a dismembered, Serbia and that is why the EU has to choose - either Serbia or a pupper entity. Time will show that Serbia is everlasting, while popper entities are seasonal. The choice has to be made by the European Union," Popovic said in conclusion.

BRDO KOD KRANJA, Jan 8 (Tanjug) - European Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said in Slovenia on Tuesday that Serbia had to meet the condition of full cooperation with the war crimes tribunal in The Hague before it signs a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU. It is absolutely necessary that everyone in Serbia understands that this condition remains and that it is of essential importance for concluding a Stabilisation and Association Agreement, Rehn pointed out following a meeting with Slovenian officials on Brdo kod Kranja. The European enlargement commissioner announced that he would soon discuss the matter with new ICTY Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz. The foreign minister of Slovenia, the country that took up the EU presidency on January 1, said on Tuesday that Ljubljana supported the signing of a SAA with Serbia.

LJUBLJANA, Jan 8 (Tanjug) - Slovenian Foreign Minster Dimitrij Rupel has said in Ljubljana that his country as the presiding member of the EU backs signing a Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with Serbia "as soon as possible," while some countries are still against that. "I am one of those who believe the SAA should be signed as soon as possible, possibly by the end of this month, but some of our colleagues have to be persuaded this is a good idea," Rupel told visiting Brussels reporters in a briefing on the Slovenian EU presidency's priorities.The decision requires unanimous agreement of the 27 EU member states and Rupel acknowledged some capitals have problems in that respect. The Netherlands has announced that it will only agree to sign the accord once Mladic is in the Hague. A number of analysts asses that the reason for the Netherlands's hard stand on this issue is, to some extent, the country's bad conscience because of the role of the Dutch troops who failed to protect civilians in Srebrenica during the War in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

BRDO PRI KRANJU, Jan 8 (Tanjug) - Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel on Tuesday announced the forming of a working group for Serbia that will have the objective of promoting Serbia's integration with the European Union (EU). The working group for Serbia will comprise current and future EU chairpersons and also representatives of the European Commission (EC) and the EU Council, Rupel specified after a meeting with EU commissioners Olli Rehn for enlargement and Benita Ferrero-Waldner for foreign relations on the occasion of the beginning of the EU Slovenian Presidency, the Slovenian news agency STA reported. According to Rupel, the working group for Serbia is modelled on a similar group that was formed several years ago in order to help Croatia meet the conditions for EU membership. At an earlier briefing for Brussels correspondents, Rupel said that Slovenia advocates the speediest possible signing of a Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) between Serbia and the EU. In that respect, Belgrade's full cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague remains a condition, but it is also necessary to make a new evaluation of that cooperation, Rupel said. Commenting on the warning from Belgrade that Serbia will not sign the SAA if the EU continues with the realization of its plan to deploy its mission in Kosovo instead of the current United Nations (UN) mission, Rupel said this seemed to him to be turning the world upside down. Serbia is the one that is seeking membership in the EU, and not the EU in Serbia, Rupel said. EU Enlargement Commissioner Rehn met with the Slovenian government today in Brdo pri Kranju, a castle near Ljubljana, and underscored that Serbia's cooperation with the ICTY remains a condition for the signing of the SAA, the STA reported. Asked whether the SAA could be signed before the end of this month, Rehn said the EU is technically ready to sign the Agreement as soon as Serbia meets the necessary conditions. He announced that he will soon ask the ICTY new prosecutor for an evaluation of Serbia's cooperation.

BELGRADE, Jan 8 (Beta) - The agreement between the European Union and Serbia about the alleviation of the visa regime is the first step on Serbia's road towards the white Schengen list, the chief of the European Commission's delegation in Serbia, Josep Lloveras, stated. Speaking at a news conference about the beginning of the implementation of the agreement on the visa regime alleviation for Serbian citizens who travel in the EU, Lloveras said this was "an important accomplishment" which will make "European prospects tangible for the citizens of Serbia." He pointed out that this was "the first step" towards the white Schengen list and that the European Commission's delegation will discuss the next steps with the Serbian government.The deputy Portuguese ambassador in Belgrade, Sara Crespo, spoke about the accomplishments of her country during its EU presidency mandate, saying that "Portugal will continue supporting Serbia on the road to European integration."

BELGRADE, Jan 8 (Tanjug) - Slovenia's Ambassador in Belgrade Miroslav Luci said on Tuesday that January 28 was still the scheduled date for signing a Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) between Serbia and the European Union and the resolving the future status of Kosovo and Metohija "has nothing to do with that," Luci said. Luci pointed out that his country considered that Serbia's cooperation with the war crimes tribunal, which is the only remaining condition for signing the Agreement was "good" and that, as far as Slovenia was concerned, "that is sufficient."

BERLIN, Jan 8 (Tanjug) - The door to the European Union remains open for Serbia, the foreign ministers of Germany and Finland indicated on Tuesday. The Stabilization and Association Agreement, a precursor to formal accession negotiations with the EU, could be ready for signing by the end of January, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said. But this depends on Belgrade's full cooperation with theInternational Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, Steinmeier said after talks with his Finnish counterpart Ilkka Kanerva. Karneva spoke out against attempts to halt the process set inmotion to decide on the future status of Serbian southern province of Kosovo. Further negotiations such as those proposed by Moscow, would not move matters forward, he said. It is more important to agree on "a timetable so that the traincan continue on its journey," the Finnish minister added quoted by German agency DPA. Steinmeier appealed to Serbia and Kosovo not take any steps that could exacerbate the situation.

LJUBLJANA, Jan 8 (Tanjug) - Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel said on Tuesday that the European Union (EU) should send its mission to Kosovo province as soon as possible, pointing out that Belgrade's stand that Brussels will have to choose between Serbia's integration with the EU and support to the independence of Kosovo is a false dilemma. The question of Kosovo and Serbia's integration with the EU should not be linked, and Slovenia is following the EU Council's stand of December to send a civilian mission to Kosovo, Rupel said, presenting the priorities of the EU Slovenian Presidency at a briefing in Ljubljana for around 50 foreign media correspondents from Brussels, STA reported.

BRUSSELS, Jan 8 (Tanjug) - Belgian Foreign Minister Karel de Gucht said in Brussels on Tuesday, following talks with his Serbian counterpart Vuk Jeremic, that currently there are no conditions for new talks on the status of Kosovo and Metohija, but he left open the possibility that they could take place after the presidential elections in Serbia and new proposals by the Serbian side. Asked by Tanjug whether he agreed with Jeremic that the solution for Kosovo and Metohija requires the continuation of the talks, De Gucht said that at this moment there are no conditions for opening new talks. However, whether these conditions will be created after the Jan 20 presidential elections in Serbia and new proposals by the Serbian side, are a question that should be put to Belgrade, De Gucht set out.

BUDAPEST, Jan 9 (Tanjug) - No time limitations should be imposed on the international supervision of Kosovo's independence, or on the civilian control and international military presence in Kosovo, UN deputy envoy to Kosovo Albert Rohan said in Budapest on Tuesday. The international control group should decide on the completion of the international supervision in Kosovo, Rohan told the MTI news agency after the presentation of UN special envoy Martti Ahtisaari's plan at the Gyula Andrasi University, where lectures are held in German. The international control group should be identical to the present Contact Group, only its name would be different, Rohan said. Rohan said that the NATO Council should make a decision on the military presence in Kosovo.

PRISTINA, Jan 9 (Tanjug) - US diplomat Larry Rossin, who was appointed deputy UNMIK head on Tuesday, will arrive in Pristina on Wednesday afternoon. Rossin took over his duty on Tuesday and will arrive in Pristina from New York on Wednesday, the UNMIK Press Service told Tanjug and added that Joachim Ruecker's new deputy would have numerous meetings with chief political players in Kosovo in the next few days. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday appointed Rossin first deputy UNMIK head, replacing Steven Schook who had held this office until the end of 2007. Previously, Rossin was head of the US Office in Pristina and between 2004 and 2006 he was deputy UNMIK head.

BANJALUKA, Jan 8 (Tanjug) - Newly elected President of Republic of Srpska Rajko Kuzmanovic said on Tuesday that RS would not support the possible unilateral declaration of independence of Kosovo, and voiced hope that the decision on the future status of Kosovo and Metohija would be the result of agreement of Serbia and Kosovo-Metohija Albanians. "The possible act of unilateral declaration of the independence of Kosovo and Metohija will not get our support, nor the voice of RS. There is only one solution that we accept - the continuation of negotiations and full agreement of both sides, which is the only thing that can bring lasting stability in Kosovo and in Serbia, but also in the wide region," Kuzmanovic said in an interview with the Banja Luka Glas Srpske daily. He voiced hope that representatives of the international community would refrain form unilateral support to one side, and pointed out that any interference in the affairs of Serbia, as an independent and sovereign state constitutes a destruction of its territorial integrity and is legally an invalid act. "A large part of the so-called western world, guided by globalisation and its own interests, has entered a stage of hypocrisy and degradation of domestic, and particularly of international law,".

PRISTINA, Jan 7 (Tanjug) - Democratic Party of Kosovo (DPK) President Hashim Thaci and Democratic Alliance of Kosovo (DSK) President Fatmir Sejdiu signed a coalition agreement on Monday, envisaging that Sejdiu should be the president of Kosovo in the next five years and Thaci the prime minister. Under the agreement, signed in Pristina, the parliament president will be elected from that DPK ranks, and this party will also get seven of the 15 ministries, while the DSK will get five ministries, Albanian-language electronic media reported. Members of minority communities will get three ministries, while the DPK and the DSK will have one deputy premier each, the coalition agreement states. Serbs will get two ministries - for labor and social issues and for return and ethnic communities, while the other minorities will have the Ministry for Ecology and Rural Development.

PANCEVO, Jan 9 (Tanjug) - Serbian Culture Minister Vojislav Brajovic has said in Pancevo he expects that parliament will adopt a new law on culture in the first quarter of this year, after which conditions, quality and evaluation of work in this sector will improve. The new law will enable the harmonisation of relations with the European Union because Serbia's culture is part of the culture of Europe and the world, Brajovic said late on Tuesday, after visiting the Town Library and Cultural Centre of Pancevo. He said that Serbia dedicated a lot of attention to more than 100 monuments in Kosovo-Metohija and that it would continue to do so in future, because they were the roots of the Serbian identity.

BELGRADE, Jan 8 (Tanjug) - The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York will host a retrospective of the films of prominent Serb director Goran Paskaljevic starting Wednesday. The retrospective, which closes on Jan 31, will include 13 feature and two short films. The event was organized by MoMA senior curator Laurence Kardish. The Serbian Culture Ministry, which aided the realization of the program in conjunction with the Film Archives and other institutions, said that this is a continuation of Paskaljevic's contribution to the promotion of the Serbian cinematography and culture worldwide.

BELGRADE, Jan 8 (Tanjug) - The OSCE office for democratic institutions and human rights has opened a monitoring mission in Belgrade to observe the Jan 20 presidential elections, OSCE announced on Tuesday. The mission will be headed by Ambassador Nicolai Vulchanov, and the team will be made up of international experts from OSCE member states that are already in Belgrade, and of 12 longterm monitors spread throughout Serbia, the statement said. The mission will monitor the election process in keeping with OSCE principles of democratic elections and other international and legal standards, and on election day the observers will not carry out the systematic and exhaustive monitoring of the ballot, counting and presentation via tables, but will visit a number of polling stations throughout Serbia and will follow the process, the statement said.