BELGRADE, September 28, 2004

• SERBIA MONTENEGRO & CHINA BELIEVE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM NECESSARY
• SAMI MEETS EU MONITORING MISSION'S DELEGATION IN SERBIA MONTENEGRO
• CONFERENCE OPENS ON OMBUDSMAN IN SOUTHEAST EUROPE
• MAROVIC NAMES SERBIA MONTENEGRO AMBASSADOR TO UKRAINE AND PERU

SERBIA

• TADIC, CAVIC URGE COMPLETE COOPERATION WITH HAGUE TRIBUNAL
• CAVIC, KOSTUNICA AGAINST CHANGING DAYTON AGREEMENT
• WB TO SUPPORT SERBIA'S REFORMS WITH 400-550 MILLION DOLLAR LOANS
• SERBIAN POLICE RECEIVE ASSISTANCE FROM OSCE AND DUTCH EMBASSY
• CENTER FOR U.S. STUDIES OPENS AT SCHOOL OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

• IVANOVIC SAYS DECISION ON KOSOVO ELECTION URGENTLY NEEDED
• SOLANA: KOSOVO STANDARDS MUST BE PUT INTO EFFECT
• HAND GRENADE THROWN AT SERB HOUSE IN KOSOVSKA MITROVICA

• DJUKANOVIC, KRIVOKAPIC AT BERLIN CONFERENCE
• DJUKANOVIC HOLDS TALKS ON SITUATION IN REGION, EUROPEAN INTEGRATION
• MONTENEGRIN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER ON UNION WITH SERBIA

BEIJING, Sep 27 (Beta)-Serbia Montenegro and China share the same stance on the necessity of suppressing terrorism, which is the main challenge to international security, Serbia Montenegro Defense Minister Prvoslav Davinic said on Sept. 27, the first day of his official visit to Beijing.

In a statement to Novi Sad TV, Davinic said that he and Chinese officials had agreed that each country should fight terrorism individually, but at the same time cooperate with the international community in this sphere.

"All the talks I have had so far imply that official Beijing is very much interested in reestablishing strategic and good relations, as we used to have," Davinic said.

Davinic informed the Chinese officials about the situation in the Balkans and also in Kosovo and Metohija, stressing the outstanding issue of the security of the Serbs and other nonAlbanians in the province.

"High Chinese officials made it clear that the issue had to be resolved in a fair manner and in keeping with Resolution 1244 of the U.N. Security Council, of which China is a permanent member," Davinic said.

The defense minister will stay in China until Oct. 1.

BELGRADE, Sep 27 (Beta)-Serbia Montenegro Parliament Speaker Zoran Sami on Sept. 27 met with a delegation of the EU Monitoring Mission in the state union, headed by the director of the EU Mission Office in Belgrade, Mauro Kopeti. Sami stressed the importance of holding elections for the state union parliament next February, as stipulated under the Constitutional Charter.

According to the announcement from the state union parliament, Sami said that there was no general political will in Montenegro for holding these elections, explaining that the Montenegrin public was divided concerning the survival of the state union.

Sami and the EU delegation also discussed the functioning of the state union after the change of EU strategy, which allowed for the existence of two parallel economic systems in Serbia Montenegro.

According to Sami, this EU decision acknowledged the difficulties that the state union members had faced in harmonizing their relations.

BELGRADE, Sept 28 (Tanjug) - A two-day regional conference on ombudsmen in South-East Europe and strengthening of regional cooperation started at the Serbia-Montenegro parliament on Tuesday. The conference was organised by the Eunomia Project of the Greek ombudsman, OSCE Mission to Serbia-Montenegro, South-East Europe Stability Pact and Serbian Ministry of Public and Local Administration. Opening the conference, Serbia-Montenegro parliament speaker Zoran Sami voiced his satisfaction with the fact that Serbia had prepared a law on the ombudsman, which he described as a product of civilisation in all democratic countries, since the ombudsman protected ordinary people's human rights. He said that there had been debates on the introduction of the ombudsman at the state union level, but that Montenegro had opposed this idea.

BELGRADE, Sep 27 (Beta)-By order of Serbia Montenegro President Svetozar Marovic, Serbia Montenegro ambassadors plenipotentiary to Ukraine and Peru have been appointed to their duties.

According to the latest issue of the Serbia and Montenegro Official Gazette, Marovic named Goran Aleksic ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Ukraine.

Goran Misic was named Serbia Montenegro’s ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the republic of Peru.

BELGRADE, Sep 27 (Beta)-Serbian President Boris Tadic and his counterpart from Republika Srpska, Dragan Cavic, stressed on Sept. 27 that cooperation with the Hague Tribunal must be complete. They added that this issue is not open to debate because it is a key condition for EU and NATO membership.

Tadic and Cavic also emphasized their support of the Dayton Accords, adding that questioning the treaty "could create instability in Bosnia Herzegovina and the entire region."

Cavic emphasized that he does not want his talks with Tadic to be viewed as "some kind of secret talks between Serbs."

For his part, Tadic underscored Serbia's observance of all international treaties relating to crises and security in the region: the Dayton agreement, U.N. Security Council Resolution 1244, and the Military Technical Agreement signed in Kumanovo.

"Time is running out," said Cavic, adding, "we in Republika Srpska are fully aware of the danger of not meeting our obligations to the Hague Tribunal."

The presidents backed closer cooperation between Serbia and RS in meeting their obligations to the ICTY.

They stressed the importance of punishing war criminals, but also directed attention to Serb victims of the wars of the 1990s and earlier conflicts.

BELGRADE, Sep 27 (Beta)-Republika Srpska President Dragan Cavic and Serbian Premier Vojislav Kostunica said at a Sept. 27 meeting in Belgrade that no changes are necessary to the Dayton agreement, emphasizing that both RS and Serbia Montenegro "have affirmed their devotion to the agreement."

"Recently we have heard very liberal and creative interpretations of the Dayton agreement that have emphasized the need to change it on account of its 10th anniversary next year and the assertion that Bosnia Herzegovina’s institutions are not functioning," Kostunica said at a news conference.

Kostunica reiterated that both Serbia and Republika Srpska support the peace treaty.

Cavic said changing the Dayton Accords "would lead to political destabilization and incite radicalism" in both Republika Srpska and Bosnia as a whole.

He echoed Kostunica's opinion about changing the treaty, stressing that although just one of many agreements, "it has made the biggest contribution to stopping incidents in Republika Srpska and Bosnia Herzegovina."

BELGRADE, Sep 28 (Tanjug) - World Bank Country Manager for Serbia and Montenegro Carolyn Jungr said Tuesday that the WB will support the reforms in Serbia in the next three years with 400 to 500 million dollar loans, of which 70 percent will be allocated for Serbia's budget. Presenting the WB program of support to Serbia and Montenegro for the July 2005-July 2007 period, Jungr clarified that the WB has three goals: the public sector reduction, development of private entrepreneurship and reduction of poverty and unemployment in the country.

BELGRADE, Sep 27 (Beta)-In Belgrade, on Sept. 27, the OSCE Mission and the Dutch embassy in Serbia Montenegro presented equipment and literature, with a total value of Eur20,000, to the Serbian Interior Ministry, within the framework of the program of police schooling reform.

The equipment forms a part of the Dutch government's donation to the Serbian Internal Affairs Ministry, within the OSCE's course for drawing up educational tasks and programs.

Gen. Miroslav Milosevic, chief of Public Security at the Interior Ministry, thanked the Dutch government for the assistance in the name of the Ministry, and voiced his expectation that the donation would help the Serbian police to harmonize its educational plan and program in accordance with those of police forces from developed European countries.

Dutch Ambassador Barend van der Heiden declared that the reform of police education was the key to the success of police reform, adding that the Serbian police had "traveled a long road" and was again "part of the world."

Mark Davison, deputy chief of the OSCE Mission to Serbia Montenegro, Ian Campbell, chief of the Department for Implementing OSCE Laws, and Tanja Tripovic, a representative from the Internal Affairs Collegiate School in Danilovgrad attended the meeting.

BELGRADE, Sep 27 (Beta)-The Center for Studies of the United States opened at the Belgrade University School of Political Science on Sept. 27.

U.S. Ambassador Michael Polt and Serbian VicePremier Miroljub Labus cut the ribbon and stressed the importance of the project in contributing to better relations, cooperation, and friendship between the U.S. and Serbia Montenegro.

The Center will organize research projects, international conferences, seminars, and workshops, as well as visits and lectures by U.S. experts and other guests.

The U.S. Embassy assisted the project with $25,000, including books and equipment.

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA, Sep 27 (Beta)-On Sept. 27, Oliver Ivanovic, a Serb official in the Kosovo Assembly's presidency, said Belgrade needs to decide as soon as possible whether to urge Kosovo's Serb community to vote in the upcoming general election.

"A decision, whatever it may be, needs to be made as soon as possible," Ivanovic told BETA, adding that there is still time to consolidate Kosovo Serb political opinion ahead of the vote.

"This requires courage, determination, vision, and a readiness to take responsibility on the part of Belgrade," he added.

"I am against making important decisions hurriedly," Ivanovic stressed, urging Belgrade to make up its mind on time.

Serbia's authorities have urged Kosovo's Serbs against voting until the international community accepts a Serbian cabinet proposal on decentralization.

Kosovo is due to hold a general election on Oct. 23.

BRUSSELS, Sep 27 (Beta)-EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security Javier Solana stated in Brussels on Sept. 27 that democratic standards must be put into effect in Kosovo, and declared that it would "be a mistake" if Kosovo Serbs did not turn out at the forthcoming elections.

Solana let it be known that "the matter of the decentralization of the authorities in Kosovo must be addressed seriously and progress must be made."

The EU high representative added he had recently discussed the matter in Brussels with Serbian Premier Vojislav Kostunica, and that he would also address the issue with Kosovo leaders, on Sept. 28, in Pristina.

Solana stressed that this comprised his message to the inhabitants and leadership of Kosovo after the meetings and conclusions of the Contact Group and ministerial and other meetings at the United Nations in New York in the last few days.

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA, Sept 28 (Tanjug) - Unidentified perpetrators late on Monday threw a hand grenade into the yard of Miroslav Repic's family house in northern Kosovska Mitrovica. Repic is an IDP from Prizren and his house is situated in the vicinity of three skyscrapers in northern Kosovska Mitrovica. UNMIK police told Tanjug that they had blocked this part of the city, suspecting that another unexploded device was in Repic's yard.

BERLIN, Sept 27 (Tanjug) - Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic and Assembly President Ranko Krivokapic, who are attending an international conference in Berlin, are scheduled to meet German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer on Tuesday, Tanjug was told Monday. Djukanovic and Krivokapic are attending the conference entitled United Europe - a Lesson for the Future, organized by the Bertelsmann Foundation, World Bank and German Association for Technical Cooperation (GTZ), which is dedicated to the experiences of new EU member countries in the association process. The conference takes place today and tomorrow and will be addressed by both Djukanovic and Krivokapic. Among the announced issues, the conference should tackle the new European policy on new neighbors, the issue of building system institutions, as well as chances and challenges in the enlarged Europe.

BERLIN, Sept 28 (Tanjug) - In a series of bilateral meetings with German political representatives in Berlin on Monday, Montenegrin Premier Milo Djukanovic discussed topical issues in the region and European integration. Djukanovic told Tanjug that he had met with Christian-Democratic Union President Angela Merkel and that they had discussed reforms in Montenegro "in the light of tasks on the path to the European Union."

BERLIN, Sept 28 (Tanjug) - Speaking at the international forum on united Europe as a lesson for the future in Berlin on Monday, Montenegrin parliament speaker Ranko Krivokapic called for the recognition of Montenegro's international personality. He said that Montenegro's "pro-European majority" saw the union with Serbia as a "punishment without guilt." "As two independent states, Montenegro and Serbia will have more democratic and dynamic relations than within the imposed union today," Krivokapic said. He said that Montenegrin citizens should be allowed to organise relations with Serbia on their own, in keeping with European models.