Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Energy agreement to be signed today in Moscow

Belgrade, Dec 24, 2008 – A Serbian delegation, led by President Boris Tadic, will sign an agreement regarding the sale of 51% of the Serbian oil industry NIS, construction of the gas pipeline and reconstruction of the gas storage facility in Banatski Dvor today in Moscow.

Serbian and Russian Presidents Boris Tadic and Dmitry Medvedev will also sign an agreement on cooperation between the two countries in terms of energy, which will be the guarantee that two other accompanying agreements will be fulfilled, namely, the construction of the gas pipeline through Serbia and the gas storage facility in Banatski Dvor.

The Serbian government affirmed yesterday the energy agreement with Russia and authorised Serbian President Boris Tadic to sign it.

The Serbian delegation will comprise Serbian President Boris Tadic, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Ivica Dacic, Minister of Foreign Affairs Vuk Jeremic and Minister of Energy and Mining Petar Skundric.

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Serbia shows it supports law, justice and freedom

Belgrade, Feb 22, 2008 – Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica stated today that at a magnificent gathering and prayer service in Belgrade yesterday, the people of Serbia and its youth above all showed what they think of Kosovo-Metohija and that they support the law, justice and freedom.


Kostunica stated for Tanjug news agency that the people of Serbia said what they think of Kosovo-Metohija and of the brutal violence carried out against Serbia.

The youth of Serbia showed it supports the law, justice and freedom and that it rejects the policy of force by Western countries, Kostunica said.

According to Kostunica, by defending Kosovo-Metohija, Serbia is showing that it is defending the values that the democratic world is based on.

And that means that Kosovo is Serbia, Kostunica pointed out.

The Prime Minister also said that there was a big tragedy yesterday as one human life was lost in the rioting.

Together we must do everything so that our opposition to force is in Serbia’s interest and in the interest of the Serbian southern province. Violence and destruction most directly inflict damage on our battle to preserve our state and national interests. All those who support the fictitious state of Kosovo are happy to see violence in Belgrade the Prime Minister said and once again called on all citizens, in the interest of Serbia, for not even the slightest incident to occur.

Serbian embassy in Russia conveys letter of protest to Russian state television

Belgrade, Feb 23, 2008 – The Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that at the demand of Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic, the Serbian embassy in Russia conveyed today a letter of protest to the Russian state television Rusija regarding the offensive comments aired in the programme Vesti by one of the journalists working for the television.

According to the statement, the letter of protest states that Serbia finds the commentary by journalist Konstantin Semin absolutely unacceptable in which he justifies the murder of the democratically elected prime minister Zoran Djindjic and insults him.

The letter also expressed intense disappointment that such comments were aired on the Russian state television, particularly at a time when Serbia is faced with the problem of safeguarding its territorial integrity and sovereignty.

The Serbian embassy demanded that the Russian state television publicly rejects comments made by Semin, and informs the Russian public on the contents of the letter of protest.

The statement issued by the Foreign Ministry underlines that Jeremic once again spoke on the phone last evening with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to point out that comments made by Semin are unacceptable.

Jeremic said on the occasion that he is convinced that individual cases like this will not affect the overall good bilateral relations between Serbia and Russia.

Educational institutions in Kosovo-Metohija to work normally

Belgrade, Feb 23, 2008 – Serbian Minister of Education Zoran Loncar said today that all Serbian institutions, including educational institutions, will work regularly in Kosovo-Metohija in order to protect the interests of Serbs in the province.

Addressing the press at an international symposium on religious education being held in the Central Army House of Serbia in Belgrade, Loncar reiterated that Kosovo-Metohija is an integral and inalienable part of Serbian territory and all educational institutions in the province will work normally for Serbs.

He said that during the next few days he will visit several areas in Kosovo-Metohija and meet with teachers, professors and students in order to find ways to ensure that educational activities in the province proceed unhindered, according to the government’s plan for education.

Speaking on continuing the struggle by the state to defend the southern province, the Minister said that Serbia will take all legal measures to return Kosovo-Metohija under its sovereign control.

According to Loncar, the government not only adopted the Decision on the annulment of the illegitimate acts of the provisional institutions of self-government in Kosovo and Metohija on their declaration of unilateral independence, but also the national programme of the Republic of Serbia to be implemented after February 17.

Commenting on the mass national protest against the unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo-Metohija held in Belgrade, Loncar said that peaceful and dignified protests by citizens support the government in its struggle to return Kosovo-Metohija within the legal and constitutional control of Serbia.

Probably these various forms of protest by citizens against the unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo-Metohija will continue during the upcoming period. It is most important that they are dignified and peaceful, said the Minister.

Commenting on the fact that Serbian students were refused entry into the territory of Kosovo-Metohija to join in the protest in Kosovska Mitrovica, he said that this shows the current situation regarding the UNMIK and the Resolution 1244.

According to Loncar, there will be opportunities for all students and Serbian citizens who wish to show their support for the Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija to do so at mass protests to be held throughout the country, and by visiting the part of the territory which we call the southern Serbian province.

Prevent violence in struggle for Kosovo-Metohija

Belgrade, Feb 23, 2008 – Serbian Minister for Kosovo-Metohija Slobodan Samradzic said last evening that the Serbian government will not stop calling upon the US to take the responsibility for breaking the international law and forcefully seizing part of Serbia’s territory.

Speaking for the news agency Tanjug, Samardzic commented on the statement by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that Belgrade did not take adequate security measures which made it possible for demonstrators to attack the US embassy, by saying that the US is mainly responsible for all the problems since February 17.

Gross violence of the international law is at the root of all this violence and that is the beginning of the chain of events, said the Minister and added that the Serbian government will make all efforts to keep the situation under control in these difficult circumstances and prevent violence in the struggle to defend Kosovo-Metohija.

US should call urgent Security Council session to confirm Resolution 1244

Belgrade, Feb 23, 2008 – Advisor to the Serbian Prime Minister Branislav Ristivojevic said today that the only solution is that the US calls for an urgent Security Council session, and that the decision is made to annul all illegal acts in order to reestablish the principles of international law in the Balkans.

In a statement to the news agency Beta, Ristivojevic said that the only solution which can bring peace and stability in the region at this moment is that the US, whose policies caused crisis in the Balkans, calls for an urgent session of the Security Council to reaffirm the full validation of the Resolution 1244 which guarantees the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia.

He accused the US of supporting gross violation of the UN Charter and the Resolution 1244, and added that by continuing to use force the US is jeopardising peace and stability in the region and the entire international order.

If the US maintains its present stance that the fictitious state of Kosovo exists and that the UN Charter and international law are not applicable to the Balkans, then all responsibility for further events rests upon the US, stressed Ristivojevic.