Belgrade, 19. 05. 2008.

SERBIA - SETTING UP NEW GOVT - REACTIONS

• TADIC: PARTIES SHOULD RESPECT ELECTORAL WILL OF CITIZENS
• TADIC: I WILL ANNOUNCE NAME OF FUTURE PRIME MINISTER SOON
• KOSTUNICA: WHO SECURES 126 MP MAJORITY WILL COMPOSE GOVERNMENT
• DINKIC: GOVERNMENT TO BE FORMED IN MID JUNE
• PAPANDREOU: SOCIALISTS COULD JOIN SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL
• WORDSWORTH HOPEFUL ABOUT PROEUROPEAN CABINET
• LUCI FOR CONTINUATION OF EURO-INTEGRATIONS

• DJELIC: UKRAINE GOVERMMENT SUPPORTS INTEGRITY OF SERBIA
• BACOVIC PROTESTS TO EL PAIS
• LEMIERRE PUTS 2008 INVESTMENT AT UP TO EUR260 MILLION

• SAMARDZIC: ASSEMBLIES AS TOP BODIES OF POWER IN MUNICIPALTIES
• KERMABON: EULEX MAY NOT RECORD PROGRESS AFTER JUNE 15
• IVANKO: UNMIK HAS NO INSTRUCTIONS TO TRANSFER POWERS TO EULEX
• KERMABON: EULEX EUROPEAN, NOT UN MISSION
• GEEKIE SAYS UNMIK WILL REMAIN EVEN AFTER JUNE 15

BELGRADE, May 17 (Tanjug) - Serbian President Boris Tadic on Saturday called on all parties to respect the electoral will of the citizens, because, at the May 11 elections, the majority of the citizens of Serbia opted for the continuation of the strategic european course which will enable strong evonomic growth and boost employment. "This strategic course is the sole chance for the citizens of Serbia to realize a better life and no-post election math aimed at enabling an alliance between Seselj and Kostunica can hide their election fiasco. Those who lost the election have not been empowered by the people to abolish their prospects and future," Tadic stated. "In the pre-election campaign, DSS did not warn its voters that their policy following May 11 would be Vojislav Seselj's program," Tadic stated, noting that this is "a deception of the citizens." "Those who are progressively losing votes every time elections are held, while their wish to come into power is growing, are those who want to redraw the popular will and to usurp power,' Tadic said.

BELGRADE, May 17 (Tanjug) - Serbia's president Boris Tadic, has expressed belief that Serbia would shortly get a socially responsible and pro-european government, adding that he would announce the name of the future prime minister very soon. "Talks are underway and I believe that Serbia will soon get a socially responsible and pro-european government for the better life of all citizens," Taid told the Danas daily.

BELGRADE, May 17 (Tanjug) - Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) leader Vojislav Kostunica said Saturday that the new Serbian government will be formed by those who manage to secure a 126 MP majority. "Regardless of the mass of empty words used by (Democratic Party - DS leader Boris) Tadic to try to explain that 102 mandates are a mojority in Serbia, it is quite clear that a legtimate government and a legitimate democratic majority can consist only of 126 members of parliament," Kostunica said in a statement sent to Tanjug. He noted that "so far, 102 mandates were less than 126 mandates in a democracy" and warned that "all who try to justify that a minority is more than a majority, will be toppling the foundations of democracy." The DSS leader said that Serbia is a democratic country and that a new government can only be formed by a parliamentary majority of 126 MPs. "If DSS - NS manage to secure a 126 MP majority, we will form a government, if DS secures 126 MPs, they will form a government. Everything else is empty and meaningless talk,"Kostunica stated. He recalled the fact that SRS has for years won the most votes at elections, but that, in keeping with democratic principles, it failed to secure a 126 MP majority and was unable to form a government.

BELGRADE, May 19 (Tanjug) - Minister Mladjan Dinkic said that there is a 95 percent chance that Serbia would have a new government in mid June, and that by late June the SAA with the EU will be passed and ratified in the Serbian parliament with 142 votes. Serbian President Boris Tadic will announce the future premier-designate in the next few days, Dinkic told TV B92. He pointed out that it is out of question that the authority that will be formed at the local level be different from the one at the republic level because it would be "serving two masters."

LONDON, May 16 (Beta) - If the Socialist Party enters a cabinet that leads Serbia to Europe, then it can, at long last, hope to join the Socialist International organization, George Papandreou said on May 16. In an exclusive interview with the BBC, Papandreou said that the fact "that the Serbian people have clearly voiced a desire for a future in Europe" in the elections, should be respected. Papandreou said that in a personal message to Serbia's socialists he had voiced his "wish to encourage the Socialist Party to turn to the future. I can imagine Socialist Party of Serbia playing a constructive role in Serbia's future." Papandreou said that he was sure that, if President Tadic desired it, he could participate in processes that would enable the Socialist Party to cooperate with the Socialist International and meet the conditions for membership in the 160 member family of leftwing parties.

BELGRADE, May 15 (Beta) - British Ambassador Stephen Wordsworth has said he hopes that the next cabinet will continue the reform process and European integration, according to a May 16 statement. Speaking at a May 15 reception at his residence, Wordsworth said that his country hopes that regardless of which parties form the cabinet, that cabinet will continue the path of reform and EU integration. Representatives of over 120 British companies active in Serbia or planning to establish a presence in the country were present. Wordsworth added that growing support for EU entry is encouraging, although the outcome of the cabinet talks remains uncertain. He also found it encouraging that key politicians understand the importance of foreign investors to Serbia's economic development, adding that further effort will be invested in improving economic ties between his country and Serbia.

BELGRADE, May 18 (Tanjug) - Brussels is interested in the speedy formation of a government in Serbia to enable the continuation of european integrations, Slovenia's Ambassador Miroslav Luci has said. In an interview to B92, Luci said that this process can be speedied up and that Serbia also has a chance to become a candidate for EU membership very soon. Slovenia also urges that visas for Serbian nationals are shortly abolished, Luci set out. The ambassador added that the encouragement from the European officials does not represent support to a party, but to the citizens who, as he said, clearly expressed their european orientation at the May 11 elections. Serbia has the potentials for faster euro-integrations, because, even prior to the elections, there were several important developments in that direction, Luci stated. He rejected criticism, mainly from the region, that Serbia is being given preferential treatment in relation to other countries. Luci pointed out that the legacy of the Slovenian EU presidency would most certainly be its activities for the faster integrations of Serbia, especially the signing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA).

KIEV, May 19 (Tanjug) - Serbian Deputy Premier Bozidar Djelic told Tanjug on Monday that the Ukrainian government supports the territorial integrity of Serbia and of Kosovo and Metohija as part of it and pointed out that Ukraine "is under huge pressure from certain countries" to recognize the unilateral declaration of the independence of Kosovo. Djelic, who heads Serbia's delegation to the annual Assembly of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in Kiev, said that for Monday was scheduled a meeting of the two governments, whose aim is to strengthen Serbia's position for Ukraine not to recognise the independence of Kosovo. From the talks he held with Ukraine deputy premier, Djelic conveyed it was said, "What has been done to Serbia is a huge injustice, which cannot bring stability in the region." "I think that we can count on Ukraine in the fight for territorial integrity," Djelic said and noted that the final decision about that, under the Constitution, is made by the president of Ukraine.

MADRID, May 16 (Tanjug) - Serbia's Ambassador to Spain Jela Bacovic pointed out on Friday, in a letter to Madrid daily El Pais, that it is incomprehensible that such a renowned daily can make such a flagrant mistake when it published a map depicting the Serbian province of Kosovo as an independent state. "El Pais on May 12 published on page 3 a map of Serbia in which the autonomous province of Serbia is shown as a neighbouring, independent state. The note the Kosovo has been recognised as an independent state by 40 countries cannot be an excuse for such a big mistake and political blunder," Bacovic said in a letter to the Madrid daily editorial staff. "Kosovo is not an independent state," Serbia's ambassador added, "even though it has been recognised by a small number of countries, 20 pct of UN members, who is this way have flagrantly violated international law, the Helsinki Final Act and the UN Charter." El Pais could have checked whether Kosovo is really an independent state in its own country in its own city, as the Spanish government has not recognised the illegal breaking away of the Serbian territory, Serbia's ambassador explained.

Brussels, May 17 (Beta) - The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development plans to invest 220260 million euros in Serbia this year, according to bank president Jean Lemierre. In an interview for a special issue of Promoney magazine ahead of the annual EBRD board of directors meeting, Lemierre listed the EBRD's priorities in Serbia as infrastructure, financial services, energy, municipal infrastructure, and farm product processing. He went on to say that the EBRD is ready to provide funding for foreign greenfield investment and support small and medium enterprises. Lemierre stressed that Serbia has to continue its privatization process, develop infrastructure, and consolidate the financial sector if it wants to attract foreign investors. He added that continued economic growth, political stability, and business reform are also needed.

BELGRADE, May 19 (Tanjug) - Minister for Kosovo and Metohija Slobodan Samardzic said on Monday that assemblies would be top bodies of power in municipalities in which Kosovo Serbs voted on May 11 in elections for local bodies of power. In addition to assemblies, in municipal structures will also be formed executive councils, said Samardzic at a press conference devoted to local elections for Serbian bodies of power in Kosovo and Metohija. "Now Serbs will address their problems by themselves," Samardzic said and added that the effect of these elections was to know who are the Serb authorities in Kosovo and who represents Serbs in Kosovo. The election of local authorities is particularly important, in terms of communication with UNMIK, Samardzic added. UNMIK, in the opinion of the minister for Kosovo and Metohija, whether it wants it or not, will end up communicating with the elected Serbian representatives and will resolve local problems together with them. After the holding of elections, there are no divisions among Kosovo Serbs, Samardzic said. Municipal leaderships, Samardzic explained, will act in keeping with the Constitution of Serbia and the laws in force, and resolve its problems independently or in agreement with Belgrade. Samardzic reiterated that, even though the Republican Election Commission had not officially reported the results of the elections, it can be said with certainty that at the local elections in Kosovo and Metohija (including also the internally displaced in central Serbia) had voted between 45 and 46 pct of the electorate. In 15 municipalities, SRS won the largest number of councilors, DSS has the largest number of councilors in six municipalities, and citizens' lists won in six municipalities. Samardzic assessed that the elections by themselves will not resolve the problems of Kosovo Serbs, but that now there will be someone who will participate in tackling them.

PRISTINA, May 16 (Tanjug) - EUlex chief Ives de Kermabon has said that it is possible that this mission will not record marked progress after June 15, when it is scheduled to start work, because it is still waiting for a UN decision and its legal framework has yet to be defined. It is very possible that we will fail to record any special progress after June 15, since so much time has passed and we have no clear legal framework, the Pristina media quoted De Kermabon as saying on Friday. The mission is in a holding position for the UN decision, De Kermabon stated, noting that the Europeran Union expects a signal from the UN to assume responsibility for peace and order in Kosovo.

PRISTINA, May 17 (Tanjug) - UNMIK spokesman Alexander Ivanko said Saturday that UNMIK has still not recieved instructions from New York to transfer its powers to EUlex, adding that UNMIK and EUlex are separate missions in Kosovo. The future role of the UN and EU missions in Kosovo is currently the subject of talks between the United Nations and the European Union, Ivanko told Tanjug. He said that, although UNMIK has no instructions to transfer its powers to EUlex, the two missions are cooperating. According to the Pristina press, EUlex officials in Kosovo have confirmed that there are difficulties in establishing this mission by June 15, adding that in question are legal and political problems and the wavering of some EU countries to back EUlex. A EUlex spokesperson told Pristina paper Zeri that the full establishment of that mission in Kosovo by June 15 would be difficult to realize due to difficulties in the field. However, the mission is being built and its establishment is continuing, she said.

PRISTINA, May 19 (Tanjug) - Head of EULEX Yves de Kermabon has said at the beginning of his several-day visit to Kosovo and Metohija that the mission will not began operating on June 15, as originally planned, and underlined that it was strictly in the European Union's jurisdiction. The reasons for the postponement are of political nature, but there are technical obstacles as well, Kermabon said late on Sunday, upon his arrival to Kosovo. Kermabon began his several-day stay in Kosovo by a visit to Klina where, as the media in Pristina reported on Monday, he reiterated that the delay in the deployment of the European mission in Kosovo was due to political reasons.

PRISTINA, May 19 (Tanjug) - UNMIK officials have stated that UN Security Council Resolution 1244 will continue to be in force in Kosovo even once the Kosovo constitution comes into effect, the media in Pristina reported on Monday, and added that the only thing that still remains vague is the scope and the structure of the future UN presence. We have been informed of the situation and we know that we have to take June 15 into consideration, but Resolution 1244 will continue to be in force, we will have a special envoy of the UN secretary general, but we will have to wait and see how things will develop, UNMIK spokesman Russell Geekie said in an interview for the Kosovo Albanian-language daily Express. I cannot say what UNMIK will look like in figures, and this is all we know for the time being, he said. Geekie added that UNMIK was waiting to receive new instructions from New York.