Belgrade, 22. 01. 2008.

C O N T E N T :

PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE- PACE

• ALIGRUDIC ELECTED PACE VICE PRESIDENT
• VAN DER LINDEN: CE BACKS FREE ELECTIONS, NOT CANDIDATES
• DE PUIG: SOLUTION SHOULD BE IN KEEPING WITH INTERNATIONAL LAW
• PACE TO DISCUSS HUMAN RIGHTS IN KOSOVO
• DAVIES: U.N. SHOULD DECIDE ON KOSOVO'S FUTURE STATUS
• MOST PACE POLITICAL GROUPS URGE CONTINUATION OF TALKS

• SOLANA HOPES SERBIA WILL VOTE FOR ASSOCIATION WITH EU
• LAVROV: RESULT OF ROUND ONE EXPRESSION OF PEOPLE'S WILL
• CIS OBSERVERS: NO SERIOUS VIOLATIONS OF ELECTION RULES
• FIRST ELECTIONS ROUND ORGANIZED IN KEEPING WITH OSCE STANDARDS
• KOSOVO OFFICIALS: INDEPENDENCE NOT DEPENDENT ON SERBIAN VOTE

• JEREMIC: GREECE FAVORS SIGNING SAA WITH SERBIA SOONEST
• EU OFFICIAL CANNOT SAY IF SAA WITH SERBIA WILL BE SIGNED ON
• RUPEL: POSSIBILE THAT EU SIGNS SAA WITH SERBIA BY END OF JAN.
• PLASSNIK: OFFER TO SERBIA STILL STANDS

• LAVROV: RUSSIA SOLIDARY WITH SERBIA ON KOSOVO
• LAVROV AND RUPEL DISCUSS KOSOVO OVER TELEPHONE
• SLOVAK GOVERNMENT AGAINST UNILATERAL INDEPENDENCE
• KRASNICI EXPECTS INDEPENDENCE DECLARATION IN FEBRUARY
• PROSECUTOR CALLS FOR 25 YEARS OF PRISON FOR HARADINAJ

• GOVERNMENT AUTHORISES ILIC TO SIGN AGREEMENT WITH RUSSIA
• ALEXEYEV: AGREEMENT GOOD THING FOR SERBIA AD RUSSIA
• EC HAS NOTHING AGAINST SOUTH STREAM PIPELINE

• IGLESIA'S PICTURE "IN BETWEEN" TAKES GOLDEN EGG
• SERBIA TO CHAIR COMMISSION FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE DANUBE
• ISRAELI AMBASSADOR MEETS KOSTRES AND PAJTIC

STRASBOURG, Jan 21 (Tanjug) - Head of the Serbian parliamentary delegation to the PACE Milos Aligrudic was elected one of the PACE vice presidents at the opening of the PACE winter session in Strasbourg on Monday. In addition to the Serbian representative, the other elected 19 vice presidents of the PACE come from Spain, Albania, Andorra, Switzerland, Armenia, Ukraine, Germany, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Poland, Russia, Sweden, France, Austria, Great Britain, Italy, Azerbaijan, Belgium and Slovakia. PACE vice presidents are elected in rotation. The PACE has 318 representatives of national assemblies of the 47 member-countries. New PACE president will be Luis Maria de Puig of Catalonia.

STRASBOURG, Jan 21 (Tanjug) - Out-going president of the PACE, Rene Van der Linden, said Monday that the Council of Europe would back any candidate who wins a free and honest election in Serbia. The Council of Europe (CE) never backs a certain candidate, rather it supports free and honest elections and this is why we will accept any candidate who wins at such elections," Van der Linden said before the start of the PACE winter session in Strasbourg. He added that he hopes that the moderate forces in Serbia will enable Serbia to join the EU. Van der Linden explained that the CE would send monitors for the second round of the presidential election in Serbia.

STRASBOURG, Jan 21 (Tanjug) - The solution for the future status of Kosovo should be in keeping with international law to avoid dramatic consequences and violence, the new president of the PACE, Lluis Maria de Puig of Spain, told a press conference in Strasbourg on Monday on the first day of PACE's winter session. I would like all decisions to be in keeping with international law and with the agreement of both sides. If agreement is not possible, it is necessary that everything is within the framework of international law to avoid dramatic consequences and violence, De Puig stated. All decisions linked to Kosovo should be adopted in a pacifist manner, in accordance with international law, De Puig underscored. PACE on Tuesday is scheduled to debate a report on the status of Serbia's southern province, by British MP Russel Jonhston . Asked by the press whether the possibility of an independent Kosovo is a dangerous precedent that could reflect on his own region, Catalonia, De Puig said that a solution for Kosovo could be a precedent, but that it has no direct connection with what is happening in his country. He pointed out that his countrymen view the situation in the Balkans as a part of the process of the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia into a number of small states, of which Montenegro was the most recent.

MOSCOW, Jan 22 (Tanjug) - The debate in the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly on the Kosovo-Metohija issue should be focused on human and minority rights protection and not on when the province could gain independence, Russian Duma Committee for International Relations Chairman Konstantin Kosachyov said on Tuesday. If this is not the case, and if negative tendencies continue within PACE, Kosachyov did not exclude the possibility that Russia reconsiders its status as one of PACE's major financial backers. We cannot finance an organization which does not fulfill its mission, said Kosachyov, who was elected vice president of PACE on Monday, on whose agenda on Tuesday is Lord Russel-Johnston's report. Russia is one the five major financial backers of PACE and this year it will allocate EUR 27 million to PACE's budget, the Russian daily Vermya Novostei said.

STRASBOURG, Jan 22 (Tanjug) - The UN Security Council should decide on the future status of Kosovo and Metohija, Council of Europe Secretary General Terry Davies said in Strasbourg. Davies told a news conference that the chances for solving the issue within the world organization are getting smaller. I am not optimistic based on my meetings with U.N. representatives, said Davies, adding that if Kosovo proclaims independence unilaterally, it would be up to governments to decide on whether to recognize a new state or not. Davies also said that he is aware of the concern over the consequences a possible decision on independence might have on the region, particularly in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia.

STRASBOURG, Jan 22 (Tanjug) - Most of the parliamentary groups of the PACE on Tuesday voted in favor of the continuation of the talks on the future status of Kosovo and Metohija, underscoring the necessity of a compromise solution. During a debate on a draft resolution on the situation in Kosovo tabled by Lord Russell-Johnston, representatives of the European People's Party, European Democratic Group, United European Left and Socialist Group did not agree with the conclusions of the British parliamentarian. It was said in the report that chances for the search for a solution had been exhausted and that a decision on the status of Serbia's southern province need to be imposed. The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe was the only parliamentary group to back the report. There is still enough room for a dialogue, while halting the dialogue would be a negative factor, and victory of one side and defeat of the other is not the best solution, said representative of the Group of the European People's Party, warning of the dangers of a precedent. Russian deputy Kosachev evaluated that another cause of the Kosovo crisis was support to separatism coming from America and some European countries, which had been sending clear messages and thus made the talks on the future status nonsensical. The Socialist Group stated that this is an exceptionally sensitive and explosive issue, which requires more caution. The Group urged for respect of Resolution 1244, which guarantees Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity and urges for an international framework. The PACE will vote in the afternoon on the draft resolution on the situation in Kosovo based on Johnston's report.

BRUSSELS, Jan 21(Beta) - European Union High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana on Jan. 21 said he hoped voters in Serbia would cast their ballots in favor of association with the EU. He told journalists in Brussels that at present he could not say if EU foreign ministers would sign the Stabilization and Association Agreement with Serbia at the meeting scheduled for Jan. 28.Solana stressed that Serbia is a country Brussels would gladly see come closer to the EU and said he believed that a majority of Serbs wished that as well. We hope very much that the prevailing mood will be in favor of association with the EU. We have very good relations with Serbia and would gladly see it come closer to the EU, he said. Solana welcomed the high turnout.

MOSCOW, Jan 21 (Tanjug) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov assessed on Monday that the first round of presidential elections in Serbia was "an expression of the will of the Serbian people." "We assess the result as an expression of the will of the Serbian people. There will be a second round. We will wait for the decision of the Serbian people," Lavrov said. Itar-Tass news agency has also reported a statement by a member of the CIS issues committee and of the Russian Duma observer mission at the elections Konstatin Zatulin that a battle would be waged up to the last moment and will end in the victory of one of the candidates with a small margin. Zatulin said in a statement from Belgrade that "whoever is elected, after that a number of European states will recognise the independence of the province of Kosovo and that will be followed by an explosion of dissatisfaction in Serbia" with the West. Zatulin said that Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica shared with Nikolic "a common position on Kosovo and also that joining NATO is unacceptable."

MOSCOW, Jan 21(Beta) - Observers from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) have not reported any serious violations of election law in the Jan. 20 presidential election in Serbia, said the chief of that mission, deputy president of the Russian Parliament's upper house Aleksandar Torshin. "We did not notice any gross violations. The organization of the election was good," Torshin told the RIA Novosti news agency and added that Russia "could learn something" from the Serbian election.Torshin said the CIS delegation was present at the election headquarters of Democratic Party candidate Boris Tadic and Serbian Radical Party candidate Tomislav Nikolic, adding that "everyone was speaking about the need to strengthen relations with Russia." He added that Tadic believes that Serbia's fundamental partners, in addition to Russia, should be the EU and NATO, while the Radicals think it is essential to make that choice in favor of Russia.

BELGRADE, Jan 21 (Tanjug) - The first round of voting in the presidential elections in Serbia on Sunday was carried out mostly in keeping with the democratic standards and the obligations undertaken within the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the limited election observation mission of this organization said on Monday. Serbia once again demonstrated the ability to organize democratic elections, said Nikolai Vulchanov of Bulgaria, chief of the OSCE limited election observation mission monitoring the presidential elections. It is important that the authorized organs should continue making improvements where they are necessary, Vulchanov said, giving as an example the fact that Serbia still has no unique electoral register, even though that is required under the law. The turnout of around 60 percent of the electorate demonstrates a high degree of interest of the Serbian citizens in this democratic process, the limited election observation mission said.

Pristina, Jan. 21 (Beta) - Commenting on the preliminary results of the presidential vote in Serbia, Kosovo officials said Kosovo's independence does not depend on the political leadership in Belgrade. "It is very fortunate that Kosovo's independence does not depend on the political leaders in Serbia. Political forces in Serbia can neither hinder nor expedite the independence of Kosovo, regardless of who will be in power in Belgrade," Kosovo Vice Premier Hajredin Kuci told the Jan. 21 issue of the Pristina daily Koha Ditore. In a statement to the same daily, Kosovo presidential spokesman Xhavit Beqiri said he does not expect essential changes in Belgrade concerning Kosovo, regardless of the outcome of the vote."The election campaigns of Radical Party candidate Nikolic and Democratic Party candidate Tadic showed that both of them have the same position on Kosovo," Beqiri said.

ATHENS, Jan 21 (Tanjug) - Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis said Monday after meeting her Serbian counterpart Vuk Jeremic that Greece favors Serbia's accession to the European Union as soon as possible. Greece supports Serbia's endeavors for integration in European and Euro-Atlantic structures which would give prosperity to its people, she said. As regards the issue of Kosovo status, which is now in a crucial phase, Bakoyannis said that Greece views any unilateral moves with reservations and believes that all potentials for a diplomatic solution have not been exhausted, Greek media have reported. Jeremic said he expects the SAA with the EU to be signed on January 28 and emphasized that Serbia will never accept any unilateral solution for Kosovo status that would violate its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Serbia is ready to resume dialogue on the future status of Kosovo and seek a solution that would secure peace and stability in the region, he said.

WASHINGTON, Jan 21 (Tanjug) - European Union High Representative for foreign policy and security Javier Solana said Monday in Brussels that he could not say in this phase whether the Stabilization and Association Agreement with Serbia will be signed on January 28. He told the press that the EU wants closer ties with Serbia and expressed his conviction that the people in Serbia have the same goal. The EU has very good relations with Serbia and wants closer ties with it, and hopes that the voters in Serbia will opt for closer ties with the EU too, the Voice of America reports. Solana commended the high turnout in the first round of the presidential election Sunday in Serbia.

BRUSSELS, Jan 22 (Tanjug) - Slovenia's Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel said in Brussels late on Monday that the European Union was trying to conclude the process of signing the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with Serbia and that it was possible that the document be signed at the end of January. Right now, I cannot say whether we will sign this Agreement successfully, said Minister Rupel, chairman of the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council, the Slovenian news agency STA reported. Asked whether the EU would sign the SAA with the Belgrade authorities next week, Rupel replied that the Union wanted so much to see a democratic Serbia and that it would do all in its power to support it on that path.

VIENNA, Jan 21 (Tanjug) - Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik said following the first round of presidential election in Serbia Sunday that the offer of closer ties between Serbia and the EU still stands, Serbia is, of course, a part of Europe. It made good progress in the past few years and should continue on this path to secure a better future for its people, she said. Stability in the region, participation in common market, foreign investments and travel facilities will benefit above all the people of Serbia. The EU offer of step by step integration still stands and the Serbian government will make its contribution to this goal. Serbia has lost enough time and needs a fresh momentum for EU integration, she added.

MOSCOW, Jan 21 (Tanjug) - Russia is solidary with Serbia regarding the resolution of the Kosovo issue, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday at the awards ceremony of the Unity of the Orthodox Peoples Foundation. "We are solidary with the Serbian people regarding the resolution of the Kosovo issue only on the basis of international law," Lavrov said at the ceremony at the Christ the Redeemer Cathedral in Moscow. Speaking about the award, handed out by Patriarch of Moscow and All of Russia Alexey II, Lavrov said that it represented a recognition of the efforts of the Russian diplomacy, which participates in the strengthening of relations with the countries belonging to Eastern Christina tradition. He said that ethical principles had to be introduced in the international policy because "policy cannot exist without links with morality and ethics."

MOSCOW, Jan 21 (Tanjug) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov discussed by telephone on Monday with Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimtry Rupel how to resolve the issue of Kosovo and Metohija, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. According to the statement, under discusssion were several international topics, including the situation over how to resolve the Kosovo issue. A mutual interest was expressed for closer cooperation in the context of Slovenia's presidency of the European Union in the first half of 2008, and topical issues of relations between Russia and the EU were discussed, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

STRASBOURG, Jan 21 (Tanjug) - The Slovak government is opposed to the unilateral declaration of the independence of Kosovo without a decision by international organizations charged with resolving this issue, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico told reporters in Strasboug on Monday. A unilateral decision on independence is insufficient for the Slovak government to recognize such a state, said Fico, who is scheduled to address the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in the afternoon during the first day of its winter session. Fico expressed agreement on this issue with out-going PACE President Rene Van der Linden. Ven der Linden has told me that the unilateral declaration of the independence of Kosovo, without a decision by the relevant international organizations, could cause numerous problems, Fico stated, underscoring that it is necessary to always respect organizations in charge of the resolution of controversial international issues.

PRISTINA, Jan 22 (Tanjug) - Kosovo Parliament Speaker Jakup Krasnici has stated that he expects that independence of Kosovo will be declared in February. "We hope that February will be the time for this historic turn to take place," Krasnici said in an interview with Britain's BBC in Albanian. Krasnici said that some more consultations are required in order to determine the date when Kosovo's independence will be declared. He said that members of the Kosovo Parliament will declare independence with a declaration, with which they will, at the same time, request international recognition of Kosovo.

THE HAGUE, Jan 21 (Tanjug) - ICTY Prosecutor David Re demanded 25-year prison sentences for former KLA commander Haradinaj and his associates Idruz Balaj and Lahoj Brahimaj. In his closing argument at the trial of former Kosovo premier Haradinaj, Re said that the prosecutors believed they had completely proved the guilt of the three accused.

BELGRADE, Jan 22 (Tanjug) - The Serbian Government has authorised Minister for Capital Investments Velimir Ilic to sign in Moscow on January 25 an agreement on cooperation in the field of energy with the RF Government. The Serbian Government adopted at the session a text of the Agreement between the Russian Federation Government and the Government of the Republic of Serbia on cooperation in the oil and gas economy. Under the agreement, talks will be opened on the conclusion of a contract between public enterprise Srbijagas and Gazprom Export on the building of gas pipeline and an underground storage facility in Banovski Dvor and of a contract between the Serbian Government and Gazprom Nefta on the sale and development of the Oil Industry of Serbia stockholding company Novi Sad. The Serbian government authorised Minister Ilic to sign, on behalf of the government, this contract, a statement from the government session said. Ilic told that he will sign in Moscow on Jan 25, on behalf of the Serbian government, an agreement on cooperation in the field of energy with the Russian Federation government.

BELGRADE, Jan 22 (Tanjug) - Russian Ambassador to Belgrade Alexander Alexeyev said on Tuesday that the announced adoption of an agreement on cooperation in the field of oil and gas was a good thing for Serbia and for Russia, particularly as regards the bilateral relations of the two countries. Speaking at the Tanjug International Press Centre, Alexeyev told journalists that the agreement envisaged the construction of a highway pipeline running through Serbia, but he did not give any details as regards the price that had been offered for the capital of the Oil Industry of Serbia (NIS). Ambassador Alexeyev said that thanks to the agreement, Serbia's political influence in the region would grow, and added that he expected the document would be signed in the nearest future. The Serbian government will discuss at its Tuesday session the adoption of the agreement with the Russian Federation government on cooperation in the field of oil and gas industry, the government's Office of Media Relations has announced. The document includes an offer for the construction of a gas pipeline through Serbia, gas storage facility in Banatski Dvor and participation in the modernisation of NIS.

BRUSSELS, Jan 21 (Tanjug) - The European Commission has nothing against the construction of the South Stream Russian gas pipeline through Bulgaria and Serbia because it believes this is keeping, and not in contradiction, with the project on the construction of the Nabucco gas pipeline that is backed by the EU, EC spokesman in charge of energy Ferran Tarradellas Espuny said in Brussels on Monday. Nabucco is indeed a priority of the EU, because the EU advocates the diversification of energy sources, and that gas would be coming from Iran, Ferran Tarradellas said. On the other hand, the EC has nothing against South Stream because that project is in coordination with the Nabucco project, and not contrary to it,the spokesman said. Both gas pipelines should pass through Bulgaria. Ferran Tarradellas pointed out that Bulgaria did not have the obligation to consult with the EU concerning last week's signing of a contract with Russia on the construction of South Stream.

DRVENGRAD, Jan 22 (Tanjug) - The first international Kustendorf Film Festival was closed by Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic on Monday evening, by a ceremony at which awards were presented for the best student films. Jose E. Iglesias, a Spanish student at Poland's national film school, was awarded the first prize - the golden egg award for his picture "In Between," the silver egg went to young British documentary filmmaker Martin Hampton for "Possessed," and the bronze egg was won by Colombian director Franco Lolli, a graduate of French film school Le Femis, for "Like Everybody Else." The awards was presented by the founder and director of the festival, Emir Kusturica.

VIENNA, Jan 21 (Tanjug) - Serbian Minister for Environmental Protection Sasa Dragin took over, on behalf of Serbia, the Presidency of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River Basin from Romania in Vienna on Monday. As the person who is responsible for environmental protection in Serbia, Dragin said he knows very well how difficult it is, but also how necessary, to coordinate the needs of nature with the tenable utilization of natural resources. Speaking at the ceremony of the Presidency take over, Dragin underscored that a speedy and efficient exchange of information among the Danube basin countries is of paramount importance. That is the main tool for preventing damage in countries of the lower course of this river in the event of accidents that occure upriver. Particularly in cases of industrial accidents with spills of dangerous matter, the key to success is in the downriver countries having sufficient time to close and protect their water supply systems which are linked with the Danube, the Serbian Ministry of EP said.

Novi Sad, Jan. 21 (Beta) - Israeli Ambassador to Serbia Arthur Koll held separate meetings with Vojvodina Assembly Speaker Bojan Kostres and Vojvodina Executive Council chairman Bojan Pajtic, in Novi Sad on Jan. 21. In the meeting with Kostres, Koll said he was very happy with the manner in which Novi Sad citizens made clear on Oct. 7, 2007 that they "will not allow the spread of the neoNazi idea in their city."The ambassador said further that the event sent "a strong message to the entire world," reads a statement from Kostres's office.Kostres stated on Jan. 23 that an Assembly delegation would pay its respects to the victims of the notorious Novi Sad raid, when 1,300 Novi Sad citizens Jews, Serbs, and Roma were killed from Jan. 21 to Jan. 23, 1942.