serbia

TADIC: RESOLUTION IS MORAL STEP FORWARD AND EXAMPLE FOR ALL

BELGRADE, Jan 15 (Tanjug) - Serbian President Boris Tadic stated Friday that by the adoption of the resolution on the victims in Srebrenica would represent a positive step forward both in respect of ethic and all other values and will be made in relation to the constant need of the societies in the Balkans to mourn only their own victims.

"All nations are ready to demonstrate that they have understanding for the suffering of their own people and the close ones. But, it is very important to show sympathy and empathy when it comes to somebody else's suffering and trouble. Particularly in the Western Balkans as such a move would truly represent a step forward in relation to the attitude of the past," Tadic told Tanjug.

The Serbian president pointed out that the modification of the system of values is a prerequisite for the regional societies to become better and more functional, and to improve their attitude to each particular individual, but also a precondition of the EU integration. "The whole topic that has been raised today - if there will be one or two resolutions - and the manner in which different home and foreign MPs approach it, has persuaded me that the only possible and right approach is the one including both resolutions. In the manner, we do not equalize or compare the victims, since anyone doing that would completely miss the political and ethic point," Tadic said. According to him, the sympathy for the Srebrenica victims would in no way exclude Serbia's right and obligation to remember its own victims.

Commenting the criticism coming from foreign countries, but also from Serbia itself, in view of Serbia's initiative to compose two resolutions on the victims of the war conflicts in the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY), Tadic said that he expected such reactions and that they persuade him that the idea about two separate resolutions is the right one. "There will always be objections coming from the left and the right when decisions concerning atrocious wars and crimes are rendered, and the crime in Srebrenica was really monstrous, but no one will ever be entirely satisfied with the outcome," Tadic said.

PACK: SERBIA SHOULD ACCEPT SREBRENICA INITIATIVE

BELGRADE, Jan 15 (Tanjug) - European Parliament MP Doris Pack has expressed her hope that Serbian MPs and citizens will accept the initiative of the country's President Boris Tadic regarding the adoption of the resolution on Srebrenica, because, as she pointed out, that is very important for the political atmosphere in Serbia.

Serbian citizens have to realize that the crimes were committed by people such as Slobodan Milosevic, Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic, who are all Serbs, and that this is destructive for the country's image, Pack has told the Belgrade daily Danas, adding that it is not fair that the whole people pays for such crimes.  She also evaluated that Serbia could get the status of the EU candidate by the end if 2010, if it fulfills all the necessary conditions regarding the cooperation with the ICTY.

According to her, the issue of Serbia's entering the NATO has nothing to do with the EU, but the current position of military neutrality is unsustainable. Your country does not have to enter a military system, but military neutrality is very difficult to sustain nowadays, she said, pointing out that Serbia is surrounded with countries which want to become the members of NATO, and that even the countries which are not members, such as Ireland and Austria, take part in the Alliance's international missions.

TADIC TO ATTEND INVESTITURE ONLY IF SEJDIU IS NOT PRESENT

BELGRADE, Jan 14 (Tanjug) - Serbian President Boris Tadic said Thursday that he will not attend the investiture of newly-elected Croatian president Ivo Josipovic if Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu is present at the ceremony.

Tadic told Tanjug that the presence of both himself and Sejdiu at the investiture would mean that Serbia indirectly recognizes Kosovo's independence. Serbia is ready to attend any regional meeting in which Kosovo is present as Kosovo-UNMIK or UNMIK-Kosovo, he noted. The investiture of Croatian president is a political event, Tadic said, adding he would be ready to attend it provided that Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity are not brought into question.

Tadic said that the relations between Serbia and Croatia have deteriorated in the past month or two due to provocative political statements of former Croatian president Stjepan Mesic and of Croatia's representatives at the International Court of Justice, where false claims were made that provinces in the former Yugoslavia had the right to secession. Serbia and Croatia can improve their relations, but must show their commitment to that goal in practice, not in words only, Tadic said.

PONOS APPOINTED ASSISTANT FOREIGN MINISTER

BELGRADE, Jan 14 (Tanjug) - The Serbian government appointed Thursday retired Lt.Gen. Zdravko Ponos assistant foreign minister, government sources told Tanjug.

Ponos was Serbian Army chief of staff but was relieved of office in December 2008. One year later, Serbian President Boris Tadic issued a decree putting an end to Ponos's professional military career.

SERBIAN PEACEKEEPERS HELP LOCAL POPULACE

BELGRADE, Jan 14 (Tanjug) - Commander of Serbian Interior Ministry Contingent with the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Haiti Biljana Lazarevic informed Interior Minister Ivica Dacic on Thursday of the current situation in the Caribbean country struck by a catastrophic earthquake and the participation of the five-member Serbian team in the relief and rescue efforts.

Lazarevic said that the Interior Ministry members will "remain in Haiti until further notice, because it is their mission to offer help to the local population at all times, and especially is this difficult situation," the Serbian Interior Ministry said in a statement. The Serbian policemen are at the UN logistics base, where the command center is now located, because the UN Mission seat in the Haiti capital of Port-au-Prince was leveled in the earthquake.

Serbian team members Bozidar Janjic and Slobodan Obrenovic joined the other members of the Port-au-Prince contingent on Thursday, after working on admitting the injured at the local hospital in Saint- Marc the night before. After completing their tasks, the Interior Ministry representatives spend the nights at the base for practical and safety reasons, reads the statement. Dacic asked that the contingent members continue to inform him of their field activities on a regular basis and offered any assistance needed, the Interior Ministry adds.

UMAR: WE WANT TO CREATE TRUST BETWEEN BELGRADE AND SARAJEVO

BELGRADE, Jan 14 (Tanjug) - The goal of the Friday trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH) and Turkey is to create a better atmosphere and trust between Belgrade and Sarajevo, which will contribute to BiH's brighter future, Turkish Ambassador Suha Umar has told Tanjug.

Belgrade will Friday host the monthly meeting of Foreign Ministers Vuk Jeremic, Sven Alkalaj and Ahmet Davutoglu, respectively. The first such meeting was held in October in Istanbul, the second in November in the same city, whereas the next one was held in December in Sarajevo. The aim is to create a better atmosphere of trust between Serbia and BiH, which will ease the situation in Bosnia and the work on better future. Serbia is the key country for this, and the Belgrade meeting will represent the continuance of the three countries' consultations, Umar stressed.

Speaking of the relations between Serbia and Turkey, the Turkish ambassador quoted President of Turkey Abdullah Gul and Serbian President Boris Tadic, who, during the meeting in Belgrade in late October 2009, evaluated that the mutual relations have never been better than today. I share the same opinion. Political relations are great, and there could be a progress in the fields of economy and culture, and I expect to see the results of our work soon, the ambassador concluded.

KOSOVO AND METOHIJA

BOGDANOVIC REQUIRES MEETING WITH EULEX CHIEF

BELGRADE, Jan 15 (Tanjug) - Serbian Minister for Kosovo and Metohija Goran Bogdanovic has said that he will send a letter to EULEX Chief Yves de Kermabon concerning the necessity to hold a meeting where they would discuss the issue of establishing legal institutions in the north of Kosovo.

"The legal vacuum which exists in the north of Kosovo-Metohija is first of all unacceptable for the Serbian community and we are ready to solve such issues," Bogdanovic told Belgrade television Pink. He pointed out that the international community is already familiar with Belgrade's position on the matter, and added that since April the ministry "has not had any meetings with EULEX in order to resolve the situation." "We want that people are protected and that criminals are prosecuted," the minister stressed.

Bogdanovic evaluated that the meeting has to be held so that the dialogue on problems in Kosovo would finally begin. Speaking of the Wednesday incident, when he was prohibited from visiting the village of Strpce by the Kosovo Police, the minister said that "this is the message for Serbs that they are not wanted in Kosovo and Metohija." "This proves the fact we often mentioned - there is no rule of law in Kosovo, no freedom of movement and Serbs are not legally protected," Bogdanovic concluded.

Montenegro, Kosovo in diplomatic ties

PODGORICA, Jan 15 (Beta, B92) - Montenegro and Kosovo have established diplomatic ties with an exchange of letters of foreign ministers, the government in Podgorica announced today. 

Montenegrin Foreign Minister Milan Rocen said in his letter that he expects the position of the Montenegrin community in Kosovo to be permanently solved, and that as this issue is being resolved, preparations for an exchange of diplomatic staff will begin. 

Montenegro recognized the Kosovo Albanian unilateral proclamation of independence in October 2008, and had its ambassador expelled from Belgrade. The new Montenegrin envoy arrived in Serbia a year later.  

Serbia had suggested that Montenegro should wait before establishing diplomatic ties

with Kosovo until after the ICJ reveals its decision on the legality of the UDI.

Mauritania recognizes Kosovo

PRIŠTINA, Jan 14 (B92, Beta) - Mauritania has recognized "the independence of Kosovo", the Kosovo Albanian authorities in Priština announced on Wednesday.  

A statement issued in Priština and carried by Beta news agency said that the "Islamic Republic of Mauritania has recognized Kosovo as a sovereign and independent state and decided to establish diplomatic ties at the level of ambassadors". 

This step, Priština says, opens up "great possibilities for development of interstate relations and cooperation".  

Mauritania is the 65th country to make the move.  

Kosovo's ethnic Albanians in February 2008 unilaterally declared independence. Belgrade rejects the proclamation as an illegal act of secession and the territory has been blocked from joining the UN.

KERMABON AGAINST SERBIAN INSTITUTIONS IN KOSOVO-METOHIJA

PRISTINA, Jan 14 (Tanjug) - EULEX Head of Mission Yves de Kermabon stated Thursday that the EU Mission does not recognize neither assist the so-called parallel structures in Kosovo, adding that Belgrade's political decision to nominate judges for Serb courts in Kosovo has to be dealt with urgently.

Kermabon said in a written statement that there is not a single place in Europe with two judicial systems operating at the same time and covering the same area, adding that this would mean non-existence of justice. "This will trigger conflicting decisions which will go against the rights of the population. There can be only one judicial system in Kosovo," Kermabon said. "The political decision by Belgrade to nominate judges for Serb courts in Kosovo has to be dealt with urgently.

EULEX is working on the reestablishment of a functioning justice in North Mitrovica, has reopened the court and conducted five trials there," Kermabon added. According to him, EULEX top priority is to get Kosovo Serb and Kosovo Albanian judges and prosecutors back to the Mitrovica District Court, so that justice can be delivered by a local, multiethnic and single judiciary. He underscored in the written statement that EULEX mission's mandate is clear concerning the Serbian institutions in Kosovo and drawn based on the Joint Action adopted by all 27 member states of the EU.  "It says that we are here to assist the Kosovo institutions, judicial authorities and law enforcement agencies. EULEX is determined to help to reinforce the Kosovo institutions in the rule of law area," the EULEX head of mission said.

Kermabon stated that strong, fair and multiethnic rule-of-law institutions for all communities are the only option, adding that this will be a guarantee for a fair justice and will make the so-called parallel structures irrelevant.  "We are not in Kosovo to govern, but to help the Kosovo authorities in the rule of law area. Until now, we have worked in the North on a step by step approach. This approach proved quite efficient," Kermabon said.