Belgrade, 02. 07. 2009.

SERBIA - EU

• TADIC, PAPOULIAS: SERBIA BELONGS IN EU
• BRINGEUS: EU WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT SERBIA'S REFORMS
• ROMANIA SUPPORTS SERBIA'S EU PATHWAY

• CVETKOVIC MEETS WITH IMF DEPUTY DIRECTOR
• BELGRADE UNIVERSIADE OPENED

• DACIC: SERBS SHOULD NOT VOTE IN LOCAL ELECTIONS IN KOSOVO
• SERBS FROM NORTHERN KOSOVO WELCOME TADIC'S STAND
• 318 SERB POLICEMEN REJOIN KOSOVO POLICE

BELGRADE, July 2 (Tanjug) - Presidents of Greece and Serbia Karolos Papoulias and Boris Tadic, respectively, agreed today that Serbia belongs in the European Union and that a solution to the issue of the status of Kosovo and Metohija has to be found within the international law framework.

After his meeting with President Tadic, President Papoulias said that Serbia should become a member of the European families within the shortest possible period and should gain the place that it rightfully deserves. Greece encourages acceleration of the visa regime liberalization process between Serbia and the EU, which President Papoulias expects to be completed by the end of the year. In regards to Kosovo, Greece's stand is well known, said Papoulias, adding that his country had always been in favor of a mutually acceptable solution which would be based on international law, which would respect minority rights and would produce neither winners nor losers. The Greek president underscored that protection of the population and cultural monuments are the basic goals of Greece's participation in missions in Kosovo. On a number of occasions, my country has presented a stand that Serbia is the strategic partner and a key collocutor of Greece, and it is a country that should play a stabilizing role in the region," said President Papoulias.

President Tadic thanked his Greek counterpart for Greece's stand of principle in regards to the Kosovo status, underscoring that Serbia will never give up Kosovo and Metohija or its path to the EU membership. "To Serbia, the Greek stand is of an exceptional importance. There are extreme political structures in Serbia, which would like to prove that the whole Europe is against Serbia's interests, but thanks to the countries such as Greece we may insist on Europe being our home," said Tadic.

BELGRADE, July 2 (Tanjug) - Swedish Ambassador to Serbia Krister Bringeus on Thursday stated that the Balkans will be one of the priorities of Sweden's Presidency of the European Union, adding that Serbia's reforms will continue to be supported aiming at its speedier accession in the EU.

The Balkans will be one of the priorities during the Swedish presidency, said Bringeus, adding that work will be done on concrete integration processes with each individual country. Ambassador Bringeus also said that an activation of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) requires Belgrade's cooperation with the Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), recalling the statement by Swedish Foreign Minister Karl Bildt in which he said that Stockholm believes that Serbia fully cooperates with the ICTY.

We will continue to work at the local level and to provide assistance in the implementation of reforms and country's modernization, said Bringeus, adding that about 40 percent of the necessary reforms Serbia has to carry out on its way to the EU refer to environmental issues. Josep Lloveras, Head of Delegation of the European Commission to Serbia, agreed that the Serbian authorities must not slow down the implementation of the necessary reforms under a pretext of the economic crisis, adding that all types of assistance, including financial from the pre-accession funds, will continue to be extended to Serbia.

BUCHAREST, July 1 (Tanjug) - Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Romanian Senate Titus Corlatean stated Wednesday, during the talks with the new Serbian Ambassador in Bucharest Zoran Popovic, that Romania supports Serbia's path towards the EU, as well as the liberalization of the visa regime for the Serbian citizens.

Corlatean and Popovic stressed the significance of honouring the Romanian minority in Serbia and Serbian minority in Romania, which connects the two countries, the Romanian Senate said in a statement. Popovic announced that representatives of the Serbian Foreign Affairs Committee will visit Bucharest in the Fall, at the invitation of the Romanian Foreign Affairs Committee.

BELGRADE, July 01 (Beta) - Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic had talks with the deputy general director of the International Monetary Fund, Murillo Portugal, the government's press service announced.

According to the statement, Cvetkovic and Portugal discussed the overall economic situation in Serbia ahead of the next scheduled visit of IMF representatives, planned for the end of August.

"They acknowledged that the existing arrangement with the IMF is being realized successfully and that it, together with the measures implemented by the government, has yielded good results, primarily in stabilizing the financial sector and foreign exchange rates, while also ending the industrial output plunge," the statement said.

During the discussion, the prime minister reiterated the government's resolve to carry out reforms which, in the long run, will reduce the size of the public administration.

They also considered ways to increase the fiscal deficit and finance spending.

BELGRADE, July 2 (Tanjug) - The 25th Summer Universiade was opened at the Belgrade Arena complex on Wednesday evening, and in the next 12 days, it will gather about 8,500 participants from 145 countries around the world. The Universiade was opened by Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic in the presence of Serbian President Boris Tadic and other representatives of the government.

"I am glad that Belgrade and Serbia are hosting such an important competition. May the spirit of sport bring a lot of medals and much success," Cvetkovic said.

Addressing the gathered students and sportsmen, President of the Universiade Organisation Committee Bozidar Djelic said he wished the university games would be remembered not only for the results those young people would achieve, but also by the friendships they would make for life.

The participants of the games were also addressed by FISU President George Killian, who welcomed the sportsmen, saying that they should not leave Belgrade before each of them had made at least one friend. Before the opening ceremony, the university torch, a symbol of this competition, was lit. Visual effects, with the help of 35 performs, conjured up all the richness of human mind and revealed the most precious jewels of the Serbian treasure trove of science - Nikola Tesla and Milutin Milankovic.

JAGODINA, July 1 (Tanjug) - Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Ivica Dacic stated in Jagodina Wednesday that the position of the Socialist Party of Serbia-Party of United Pensioners of Serbia-United Serbia (SPS-PUPS-JS) coalition is that "Serbs should not participate in local elections in Kosovo-Metohija," and expressed hope that the Serbian government will share their opinion.

"Serbs should not vote in local elections in Kosovo-Metohija, carried out based on the decision of the institutions formed pursuant to Martti Ahtisaari's plan," Dacic told Tanjug. Our position in general, not only in view of these local elections, is not to acknowledge the institutions established based on the falsely proclaimed independence of Kosovo, Dacic underscored.

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA, July 1 (Tanjug) - Serbs living in the north of Kosovo and Metohija on Wednesday welcome the stand of Serbian President Boris Tadic that there are no conditions for the authorities in Belgrade to call citizens of the Serb nationality to take part in the local elections in the province.

The Serbian government, however, has yet to formulate a stand on whether Serbs should vote in the Kosovo local elections, called for November 15. Head of the Kosovska Mitrovica District Radenko Nedeljkovic recalled that the Serbs in Kosovo held their local elections in May last year, at the same time with the elections in other parts of Serbia, and that he sees no reason for them to take part in the elections called by Pristina.

"The Serbian president's stand is fully justified. Municipal assemblies have been constituted in Kosovo, and as we do not recognize the state of Kosovo we do not recognize elections called by the government in Pristina," said Nedeljkovic. Vice-President of the Assembly of the Community of Municipalities and Settlements in Kosovo and Metohija Marko Jaksic also supported Tadic's evaluation that there are no conditions for the Serbs to take part in the local elections in Kosovo, but he added that the president of the state should call on the Serbs who are in the institutions of the government and parliament of Kosovo to step out of those institutions.

PRISTINA, July 2 (Tanjug) - A total of 318 Serb police officers have rejoined the Kosovo police, the media in Pristina reported on Thursday, noting that the policemen had already assumed their duties.

The Serb members of the Kosovo police have taken over their equipment, weaponry and badges. The suspended Serb policemen - 325 of them - were on paid leave because they refused to be under the command of the Kosovo police after Pristina's unilateral proclamation of independence.