• JEREMIC AND LAVROV ON FRIDAY'S PUTIN-SERB LEADERSHIP MEETING
• TADIC: SERBIA WILL NEVER STOP DEFENDING ITS INTERESTS IN KIM
• PUTIN: RUSSIA RELIABLE FRIEND, PARTNER OF SERBIA
• SERBIA AND RUSSIA IN FULL AGREEMENT ON FUTURE KOSOVO STATUS
• SERBIA AND RUSSIA URGE RESUMPTION OF KOSOVO DIALOGUE

• LUCI: SLOVENIA FOR EARLIEST POSSIBLE SIGNING OF SAA
• AUSTRIAN GOVERNMENT TAKES DECISION TO SIGN SAA WITH SERBIA
• DENMARK: SAA SHOULD BE SIGNED BEFORE SECOND ELECTION ROUND

• BAN KI MOON BEGINS TO DISCUSS KOSOVO IN LJUBLJANA
• SOLANA: NO DATES WERE DISCUSSED WITH THACI
• REHN TELLS THACI EU RESOLVED TO SPEARHEAD COORDINATION PROCESS
• U.S. URGE EUROPEAN STATES TO RECOGNIZE KOSOVO'S INDEPENDENCE
• DI CARLO: KOSOVO STATUS ACCORDING TO AHTISAARI PLAN ASP
• BUSEK: OUTCOME OF KOSOVO CRISIS DECISIVE FOR RCC
• KOLEV: BULGARIA SUPPORTS MARTTI AHTISAARI'S PLAN
• TOPI: ALBANIA WILL BE AMONG THE FIRST TO RECOGNISE KOSOVO
• SEJDIU: SOLVING OF KOSOVO'S STATUS IS NOW OUTSIDE OF U.N.

• TADIC: SINGER DESERVES TO BE EU AMBASSADOR
• JEREMIC TO INTERVENE IN EC OVER M. SERIFOVIC
• DINKIC AND MILOSAVLJEVIC: SERBIAN GOVERNMENT WILL NOT FALL
• SERBIAN ARMY AND KFOR PREPARED TO SECURE PEACE

MOSCOW, Jan 25 (Tanjug) - Serbian President Boris Tadic and Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow today to discuss the future status of Kosovo and Metohija and promotion of economic cooperation in the energy sector mainly. According to the announcements from Moscow, the the status of Kosovo will be the main issue to be discussed during the meeting. Putin has underscored on several occasions that Russia will not support a solution for unilateral recognition of the province's independence. Ahead of the visit of Tadic and Kostunica, an Agreement between the Serbian and Russian governments on energy cooperation in the oil and gas sector, as well as a Protocol on basic conditions for the purchase of shares of the Serbian oil company Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS) by Russia's company Gazpromneft were prepared for signature. It was also announced that based on the Agreement the two parties will start negotiations on signing an agreement between Serbia's Srbijagas and Russia's Gaspromexport on construction of a gas pipeline and an underground storage facility in Banatski Dvor, as well as an agreement between the Serbian government and Gaspromneft on sale and development of NIS a.d. Novi Sad. The Serbian government has authorized Minister of Infrastructure Velimir Ilic to sign the agreement, while Russian Minister of Industry and Energy Viktor Khristenko is expected to sign it on behalf of the Russian government.

MOSCOW, Jan 25 (Tanjug) - Russia and Serbia signed in Moscow on Friday an oil-gas agreement by which the two governments defined cooperation in the field of energy, as well as a protocol according to which Russia's Gazprom will buy 51 percent of shares of the Serbian Oil Industry (NIS). The signing ceremony was attended by President of the Russian Federation Putin and Serbian President and PM, Tadic and Kostunica, respectively.

MOSCOW, Jan 25 (Tanjug) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that the fact that in spite of a complex political situation in their country, a high-level Serbian delegation had arrived in Moscow proved that the signing of an energy agreement represented an important event both for Serbia and for Russia. Welcoming the Serbian delegation in Kremlin, which is headed by President Boris Tadic and Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, Putin said that the relations between the two countries were developing well and that the trade between Serbia and Russia had increased by six times over the past six years. I am convinced that this visit will represent a significant event and that it will encourage the development of our relations, particularly in the economic field, the Russian president said at the meeting with the Serbian delegation.

BELGRADE, Jan 24 (Tanjug) - Serbian Minister of Economy and Regional Development Mladjan Dinkic said on Thursday that tomorrow's signing of the inter-state agreement between Russia and Serbia in Moscow "will not settle everything absolutely" and reiterated that he accepts the gas arrangement with Russia but has reservations regarding the direct sales of the Serbian Petroleum Industry NIS. Addressing a press conference following a Serbian government session, Dinkic said tomorrow's signing of the framework agreement on cooperation between Russia and Serbia in the area of energy is not the end of this work. He specified that the agreement text needs to be negotiated further, and that contracts on the completing of certain projects need to be signed. The final word will be that of the Serbian National Assembly, which has to ratify the agreement, he said. Dinkic reiterated that, as the relevant minister, he advocates the sales of NIS to a Russian partner according to the 50:50 principle, and that Russia and Serbia should be equal financiers in the project of the construction of the gas pipeline through Serbia.

WASHINGTON, Jan 25 (Tanjug) - The United States is interested in the preservation of variety as regards the supply of energy and transit energy routes, State Department spokesman Tom Casey has said on the occasion of the energy agreement that was signed between Serbia and Russia in Moscow on Friday. Asked to comment on the Belgrade-Moscow agreement on gas and oil cooperation, Casey told a news conference in Washington that the document represented a bilateral agreement which Serbia and Russia were free to conclude and of which the State Department had little to say. When it comes to sources of energy, we are interested in the preservation of variety as regards the supply of energy and transit energy routes, so that any halts in the supply that might occur either because of technical or political reasons could be avoided, Casey specified. When asked to comment on the fact that former secretary of state Lawrence Eagleburger, former national security advisor Brent Scowcroft and former US ambassador to the UN John Bolton had opposed Kosovo independence in their recent statements, Casey said that the men in question were former officials who were free to speak their minds.

MOSCOW, Jan 24 (Tanjug) - Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic on Thursday opened talks in Moscow with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on the issue of Kosovo and the details of Friday's meeting between Serbian president and premier - Boris Tadic and Vojislav Kostunica respectively with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "The agreements reached tomorrow at the meeting between Putin and the Serb leaders will ensure a secure longterm political and economic stability in the Balkans," Jeremic said at the start of the talks. Lavrov said that "there are many intentions in the bilateral sphere" and that there is much to discuss. "This primarily refers to the situation in the Balkans, as well as to the resolution of the situation with regards Kosovo," Lavrov stated, adding that he would listen with satisfaction to Jeremic's "assessments about the situation in Serbia." "We are interested that stability in Serbia is preserved after the completion of the election process there," Lavrov set out.

MOSCOW, Jan 25 (Tanjug) - Serbia is defending its interests and integrity in Kosovo and Metohija in a very principled manner, by relying on international law, and is never going to stop defending its interests in Kosovo and Metohija, Serbian President Boris Tadic said in Moscow on Friday, at a meeting of the Serbian delegation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. It is a well known fact that Serbia highly respects the Russian stand in regard to the future status of Kosovo, Tadic said at the beginning of the meeting with the Russian president, adding that without such a stand, Serbia would have a lot less capacity for defending its legitimate interests and the territorial integrity in Kosovo and Metohija. Thanking his host for the hearty welcome, Tadic said that he completely agreed with Putin that the scope of bilateral and economic relations between the two countries had increased over the last couple of years. I believe that today, and after the signing of an agreement in the field of energy, new possibilities for cooperation will present themselves, Tadic said, adding that the strategic partnership would be useful for both Serbia and Russia. Our relations are developing well, Putin said, adding that over the last six years, the trade between the two countries had increased by six times. I am convinced that this visit will represent a significant event and that it will encourage the development of our relations, particularly in the economic field, the Russian president added. After the talks of the top delegations of Serbia and Russia, the agreement will be signed on the two countries' energy cooperation, which, according to announcements, will be signed by Minister Ilic and Russian Minister of Energy Hristenko.

MOSCOW, Jan 25 (Tanjug) - The Serbian people can rest assured that they have a reliable firend and partner in Russia, said on Friday in Moscow Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin. Russia is categorically against the independence of Kosovo, Putin said, news agencies reported. The independence of Kosovo will dangerously damage the entire system of international law, and create negative consequences for the Balkans, the world and for the stability of other regions, said Putin following talks with the Serbian state leadership.

MOSCOW, Jan 24 (Tanjug) - Full agreement between Serbia and Russia regarding the future status of Kosovo-Metohija was reaffirmed yet again in the talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic told Tanjug Thursday in Moscow. Both countries believe that Kosovo status must be in keeping with international law and must not undermine Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, he said. Serbia highly appreciates Russia's principled stand in defense of international law, Jeremic told Lavrov. The main topics of the talk included the last political preparations for the top-level meeting scheduled for Friday between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Serbian President Boris Tadic and Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, Jeremic noted. He emphasized that he and Lavrov agreed that the bilateral agreement on cooperation in energy sector due to be signed Friday is strategic for bilateral relations and for energy stability of Western Balkans. Securing energy supply to Serbia and the Balkans in the long-term will considerably improve the opportunities for new investments, particularly in manufacturing inductries, Jeremic said. In Serbia's view, improving the economic situation will also result in stabilizing the political situation in the Balkans, which constitutes a pre-condtion for the region's full integration in the European Union, he noted. The gas pipeline that will be built will be an energy bridge not only towards Russia, but alwo towards the EU, he added. As regards the political situation in Serbia between the two rounds of the presidential election, Jeremic said he conveyed to Lavrov his view that the second round will be a referendum on Serbia's future in the EU. He thanked Russia for its support to a speedy integration of Western Balkans in the EU and expressed hope that Moscow will pursue this policy in the future too. Lavrov expressed hope that he will have the opportunity for talks with a stable, responsible and European Serbia after the election too. This was the third meeting of the two foreign ministers this year.

MOSCOW, Jan 24 (Tanjug) - Serbia and Russia have identical views on Kosovo-Metohija and strongly urge the resumption of dialogue on its future status, Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic said Thursday. Both countries will strongly oppose any attempt at imposing a solution that would not be in keeping with international law and that would result in violating Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, he told reporters of Serbian media in Moscow. Neither Serbia's nor Russia's stands have changed, he said.

BELGRADE, Jan 24 (Tanjug) - Slovenian Ambassador to Serbia Miroslav Luci said on Thursday that Ljubljana would continue to "make diplomatic efforts" for the EU to sign as soon as possible a SAA with Serbia. "Slovenia is urging the earliest possible signing of a SAA with Serbia, if not in January than very soon," said Luci, whose country is currently presiding over the EU. Luci, at a meeting devoted to consequences of the Lisbon accord - document that replaced the rejected European Constitution - assessed that Serbia "has the administrative capacities" to step up its advance to the EU and to continue to "work hard" after the signing of the agreement. France's Ambassador to Serbia Jean-Francois Terral assessed that the Lisbon accord had great significance for Serbia and other countries of the Western Balkans, given that the document envisages enlargement of the European Union to new members. Adviser to the Serbian government deputy premier for European integrations Ksenija Milivojevic said she was satisfied that the Union late last year signed the Lisbon accord and voiced hope that EU members would ratify the document soon, so that it takes effect in 2009. "I expect that Serbia will be one of the countries in the first round of enlargement in the Western Balkans," Milivojevic said. Serbian Government Office for European Integrations Director Tanja Miscevic assessed that the speed of our joining the EU did not depend only on whether Serbia will meet all the criteria, but also on the ability of the EU to accept the challenges of further enlargement.

VIENNA, Jan 24 (Tanjug) - The Austrian government has taken the decision, at its last session, to sign a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with Serbia, said in Vienna on Thursday Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik. Official Vienna considers that the sighing of the SAA with Serbia is a good step, and "we shall see whether that is possible on January 28," Plassnik said at a press conference following a meeting with Slovenian counterpart Dimitrij Rupel, whose country is presiding over the European Union. The Slovenian foreign minister announced that a meeting would be held with Serbia ahead of the European Union session on January 28, and added that he did not know whether the SAA would be signed then, because there were still difficulties.

BRUSSELS, Jan 25 (Tanjug) - The European Union should sign the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with Serbia before the second round of the presidential election on February 3, Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen stated in Brussels on Thursday. I believe that it would be a good idea to sign the agreement before the second round of the presidential election in order to show the EU's positive position towards Serbia, said Rasmussen. The majority of the EU member states urge for the signing of the SAA to take place at a Council of Ministers meeting to be held on Monday, but this requires an approval by all 27 member states. The Netherlands and Belgium are still against it because they evaluate that there was no sufficient cooperation.

On Jan. 25, U.N. Secretary General BanKi moon begins a twoday visit to Slovenia, during which Kosovo will be on the agenda, at the invitation of Janez Jansa. BanKi moon will also speak with the Slovenian president, Danilo Tuerk, and the foreign minister, Dimitrij Rupel. It was announced that cooperation during Slovenia's EU presidency will be the main topic for discussions between BanKi moon and Janez Jansa, in particular the solving of unresolved issues in the Western Balkans, especially the Kosovo issue.

BRUSSELS, Jan 24 (Tanjug) - European Union (EU) High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana said on Thursday that no dates were discussed with interim Prime Minister Hashim Thaci of Kosovo and Metohija province, while Thaci said the proclamation of Kosovo's independence in cooperation with the EU and the United States was a matter of days. After the end of their meeting in Brussels, Solana said that dates will be discussed on some other occasion. Thaci said the proclamation of the independence of Kosovo province is a question of days, in cooperation with the EU and the USA, and that Kosovo is ready for independence already today, but that it will wait until certain procedures are completed and joint decisions adopted. Thaci expressed confidence that the independence of Kosovo will be recognized massively by member-countries of the EU, the USA, and Kosovo's neighbors.

BRUSSELS, Jan 24 (Tanjug) - European Union (EU) Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn on Thursday told interim Prime Minister Hashim Thaci of Kosovo and Metohija province that the EU is resolved to spearhead the coordination of the decision on the status of that province, Rehn's press spokesperson Krisztina Nagy said. "Commissioner Rehn reiterated the European Union's readiness to carry its responsibility by steering a coordinated and managed process to finalize the settlement of Kosovo's status," she told reporters. Asked whether Rehn had explained to Thaci his view of a coordinated decision on the status of Kosovo, since Thaci announced that Pristina has already coordinated the date of its independence with Brussels and Washington, to take place these days, Nagy said that Rehn is sincerely for a coordinated process which would lead to the status of Kosovo, and that the commissioner underlined this in his meeting with Thaci. Nevertheless, Nagy said "I would like to ask your understanding that this issue is a very understanding issue, that we are in a very sensitive political context, in which it is better to resort to diplomatic means than to public statements." Yesterday, Thaci announced that Kosovo is ready for its status and the building of a democratic state, and that he expects this will be realized in close cooperation with Brussels and Washington at the earliest possible time.

BELGRADE, Jan 25 (Tanjug) - The U.S. Department of State is urging European countries to recognize independence of Kosovo soon and is prompting EU presiding country Slovenia to be the first to do this, the Belgrade daily Politika wrote on Friday, publicizing exclusively internal notes of the Slovenian Foreign Ministry which support the above statement. Politika has had access to a document, excerpts of which the Ljubljana daily Dnevnik also published on Friday, in which US Deputy Assistant Secretary Rosemary Di Carlo explained how she had advised the Albanians to call a session of the Kosovo Parliament, during which they would declare independence, for Sunday, because "the Russian Federation would not have enough time to call a SC meeting." During the meeting, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Daniel Fried expressed his confidence that six EU member states will not recognize Kosovo at first, but if at least 15 out of 27 EU member states do it, it will be more than enough. Fried explained that Slovenia's leadership will be of key importance in the role of the EU Presidency, adding that the United States avoids to make any statements in regards to Kosovo's independence, but that it will be among the first countries to recognize Kosovo when the Kosovo authorities announce independence after the Serbian presidential election. Fried also said that that the USA is also trying to have as many states outside the EU recognize Kosovo during the initial several days after independence declaration, and that it is lobbying hard in Japan, Turkey, as well as in Arab states that had expressed, according to Fried, readiness to recognize Kosovo.

PRISTINA, Jan 25 (Tanjug) - US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Rosemary DiCarlo said on Friday that the Kosovo status should to be resolved as soon as possible in line with the proposal by international mediator Martti Ahtisaari. DiCarlo met with Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiju and Parliament Speaker Jakup Krasnici in Prisitina and said that she welcomes the commitment of the Kosovo institutions to implement the Martti Ahtisaari plan. Kosovo's status should be resolved as soon as possible, DiCarlo told the press and added that she is happy to see that Kosovo's institutions are ready to respect rights of the ethnic minorities, who now have their representatives in the government.

VIENNA, Jan 25 (Tanjug) - Outcome of the Kosovo conflict will be decisive for the work of the new Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), which will replace the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe, former Austrian Vice-Chancellor Erhard Busek has evaluated. In an interview with the Austrian news agency APA, the Special Coordinator of the Stability Pact said that whether a formula will be found to have the Kosovo government at the negotiation table and, at the same time, to avoid boycott of the body by Serbs is decisive. When asked whether there are concrete threats or indications from Belgrade that they will leave the RSS after an accession of Pristina in the membership, Busek replied, "Let's wait a while." We are currently working on persuading Serbia to remain, clarified Busek.

PRISTINA, Jan 24 (Tanjug) - Bulgaria supports the plan of former international mediator Martti Ahtisaari, which calls for the internationally supervized independence of Kosovo, the head of Bulgaria's liason office in Pristina, Nikolai Kolev, said on Thursday. Following a meeting with Kosovo parliament speaker Jakup Krasnici, Kolev said that Bulgaria supports the unilateral declaration of the independence in coordination with the international community and the EU, the Pristina electronic media reported. Krasnici thanked Bulgaria for its "principled stand in the resolution of the Kosovo problem" and announced Pristina's readiness to further strengthen relations with Bulgaria.

PRISTINA, Jan 25 (Tanjug) - Albanian President Bamir Topi said in Pristina on Friday that Albania would be among the first countries to recognise Kosovo's independence, and that Kosovo institutions would decide when they would reach a decision on status. After his talks with UNMIK chief Joachim Ruecker, Topi said that Kosovo should be a democratic community of all people, including Serbs. UNMIK Chief Joachim Ruecker assessed that, whatever the developments regarding status, UNMIK and other international institutions were prepared for any possible situation, pointing out at the same time that all Kosovo inhabitants wanted peace and stability. The institutions of Kosovo and UNMIK are ready to overcome a possible embargo of Serbia, Ruecker said, expressing belief that positive developments would prevail. The Albanian president said that Serbia's possible embargo would have no effect, claiming that Kosovo had become an international issue.

Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu stated on Jan. 24 that the status of Kosovo is now being solved outside of the U.N. Security Council and stressed that a declaration of independence was now only a matter of days. "Little time remains. I cannot say what the exact date is, but we will very quickly have a clear and decisive stand," Sejdiu said in an interview with the BBC in the Albanian language, adding that the process of solving the status of Kosovo is now on another road, outside of the U.N. Security Council. Sejdiu said the Security Council would be the best way of common support, but that a blockade is in place that has stopped the process.Afterward, the Kosovo president said in Lipljan that the request for the recognition of independence will be sent to all neighbors, including Serbia.

BELGRADE, Jan 24 (Tanjug) - Serbian President Boris Tadic asked Thursday Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic and his ministry to react to indictations from the European Commission that it will reconsider whether singer Marija Serifovic deserves to be an EU ambassador due to her political views. Serifovic deserves this title as she successfully represented Serbia and won in the Eurosong festival. Marija's political views do not diminish in any way her success or her capability to represent he country, Tadic's office said.

MOSCOW, Jan 25 (Tanjug) - Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic announced Thursday evening that at the request of Boris Tadic, he would intervene on Friday in the European Commission not to strip Eurosong winner Marija Serifovic of the title of ambassador of cultural dialogue. "We believe that Marija Serifovic represented our country in a phenomenal way, she scored an important victory for Serbia, one of many more we believe will come in the future," Jeremic told reporters of Serbian editorial offices in Moscow. "We are trying to conquer Europe together, by talent, by our knowledge and skills. Marija Serifovic has shown in a phenomenal way how we can conquer Europe," said Jeremic and added that the fact he did not share the political positions of Marija Serifovic was irrelevant. "I will do everything in our diplomatic power to prevent a change," Jeremic said., and pointed out that everyone had the right to their political views.

BELGRADE, Jan 24 (Tanjug) - Serbian Ministers of Agriculture Slobodan Milosavljevic and Economy Mladjan Dinkic agreed on Thursday that Serbia's coalition government would not collapse if the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) did not support present Serbian president and Democratic Party (DS) leader Boris Tadic in the second round of presidential elections. Asked whether they feared that the government would collapse if the DSS did not support Tadic as their coalition partner, Milosavljevic of the DS said that he was not afraid of this, while G17 Plus leader Dinkic briefly said news conference following a government session that this was not the place for party issues and that the DS was a better address for this.

NIS, Jan 24 (Tanjug) - Serbian Army (VS) Chief of General Staff Lieutenent-General Zdravko Ponos and Kfor commander Lieutenant-General Xavier Bout de Marnhac expressed in Nis on Thursday readiness to secure peace for all inhabitants on both sides of the administrative line with Kosovo and Metohija. "So far, there have been no indications that require stepped up VS or Kfor engagement, and if they appear, the reaction will be determined from both sides with the aim of securing peace and security for people living on both sides of the administrative line and preserving their property," Lt-Gen Ponos pointed out. Asked whether the unilateral declaration of the independence of Kosovo could threaten peace and security, Ponos said that "there are plans for different scenarios that are not linked exclusively to political decisions and their effects." "If anything happens, and if it is linked to the safety of the people and property, there exists readiness and capability to react in a corresponding manner, but this should not be linked to any specific date," he added. Lt-General De Marnhac said that, as a soldier, he would not like to speculate about future political matters, adding that every day Kfor trains, but also in order to help train other security structures such as the Kosovo Protection Corps and the UNMIK police. Kfor's task is to ensure a safe and secure environment for all citizens, Lt-Gen. De Marnhac stated, adding that Kfor cannot achieve this by itself.