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January 05

- SMEDEREVO: Socially vulnerable citizens of Smederevo entered the New Year hungry because the soup-kitchen is closed on Sundays and on national and church holidays. On December 31st, they received the regular Saturday meal consisted of canned food.The most needy citizens in Smederevo will also celebrate the Labour Day and Easter without any food. This year both holidays are celebrated on May 1st.
The soup-kitchen in Smederevo has 500 users - 400 meals are financed by the municipality and 100 are financed by the local Red Cross. Some users don't pick up their meals regularly because they live in
the suburbs - they are too old to walk several kilometers to the soup-kitchen and they can't afford the bus tickets. Thanks to these users, thanks to some small savings and to the proper production of meat and eggs, the soup-kitchen has started distributing hot meals 6 days a week instead of 5 days a week.
"Danas", 4. 1. 2005.

- KOSOVSKA VITINA: Members of the American contingent of KFOR removed the checkpoints and accommodation facilities from the courtyard of the orthodox church in Kosovska Vitina. They were staying there since the March violence, when only some 15 Serb families with 1 or 2 members each stayed in the houses around the church and all the rest fled to the neighbouring Serb villages. The international forces and the Kosovo Police Service will take over the protection of law and order in the area.
"Glas javnosti", 3. 1. 2005.

- KOSOVSKA MITROVICA: Around 3 o'clock yesterday morning, unidentified persons fired shots at the UN vehicles parked outside the police station in Zubin Potok. No one was injured in the incident. Several
vehicles were damaged and several bullets flew into the police station building. The police has investigated the crime scene but no arrests have been made yet.
"Glas javnosti", 4. 1. 2004.

- PRESEVO: By January 31st, a three-member commission of Albanian political representatives will work out the modalities for the future National Council of the Albanians of the Presevo Valley, said Orhan
Redzepi, the spokesman for the Consensual Council of Albanian political representatives of the Presevo Valley. He said that by the end of this month, the National Council of the Albanians of the Presevo Valley will probably be formed but, he added, "it looks like it won't be formed in accordance with the current Law on ethnic minorities and ethnic communities".
"Glas javnosti", 4. 1. 2005.

- VUKOVAR: On December 31st, 2004, the County Court in Vukovar sentenced former military policeman of the Yugoslav National Army, Milovan Zdrnja, to 3,5 years in prison for war crime against civilians
- according to the verdict, on November 20th, 1991, in the detention camp in Sremska Mitrovica, where the captured Croatian soldiers and civilians were kept, Milovan Zdranja hit the prisoner of Croat
nationality, Ivica Pavic, although he saw that the prisoner was wounded in both legs and that he could barely stand from exhaustion. Zdrnja was arrested on July 18th, 2002, but he was released the next month and he was defending himself from freedom (I don't know how to say this in English-Z). During the trial, he said he never was in Sremska Mitrovica and he didn't hit Ivica Pavic and he didn't feel guilty.
Before his arrest on July 18th, 2002, Zdrnja was working as a police officer in the Police Department of the Vukovar-Srem County.
"Danas", 4. 1. 2005.

- NOVI PAZAR: On New Year's Eve, ten minutes after midnight, Nedzad Balota (aged 34) fired 3 shots into the air from the balcony of his apartment in Novi Pazar to celebrate the arrival of the New Year and one of the shots hit his 7-year-old son Azem who died on the way to the hospital.
"Glas javnosti", 3. 1. 2005.

Belgrade - Belgrade will be the host of Unversiade 2009, the most important sports manifestation after Olympic Games. The jubilee 25th Universiade will be held from 15 to 26 July 2009. About ten thousand
participants from 180 countries are expected to come to our capital and compete in 13 sports. About 100,000 visitors and tourists are expected to follow the Universiade.
"Blic" 12.1.2005.

Belgrade – At a meeting of the nation's top officials today, it was decided that the South Serbia Coordination Center will now included representatives of the Albanian community as well. It was also decided that the center should play a key role in solving problems in the region. According to the Beta news agency, the current crisis in South Serbia topped the meeting’s agenda and that officials decided that the Coordination Center needs to function in better cooperation with other national administrations in the future ...
Belgrade’s Humanitarian Law Centre is relentless in its pursuit of justice for the victims of crimes and the uncovering of crimes committed by the state. Centre Director Natasa Kandic caused a storm this week, accusing senior government figures and senior police officials of orchestrating a cover-up of Kosovo war crimes.
"B92" 12.1.2005

Belgrade - According to poll carried out by 'Medium Gallup' over expectations in 2005, the citizens of Serbia are in the list of the leading pessimists in the world. On the other hand, citizens of Kosovo are in the list of the leading optimists in recent four years.Even 43 percents of the citizens of Serbia /18 percents more compared to 2004/ have negative expectations in this year. Gloomy thoughts of Serbia citizens over the future of the country put our country in the fourth place of the most pessimistic countries in the world. Only citizens of the Philippines, Greece and Korea are more pessimistic than we are.
"Blic" 13. 1. 2005.

Belgrade - Serbia president Boris Tadic said that 'there must be no war in the south of Serbia' and that he personally would do his utmost that 'something like that does not happen'. 'The situation is very delicate and adequate measures are to be undertaken for stabilization of situation in that part of Serbia', Tadic said.
"Blic 13. 1. 2005.

Belgrade - According to agreement that Croatia Prime Minister Ivo Sanader and Serb representatives in Croatia Parliament signed on December 18, 2003, Croatia undertook to return to Serbs all of their still occupied homes until the end of 2004.Serb representatives in Croatia Parliament warned on several occasions that return of the homes was not going on at agreed dynamics. The promise has always been that the deadline 'shall be respected almost in full'.
However, it has not happened so. Out of 3,509 occupied houses at the beginning of implementation of the agreement /January 2004/, 1,197 houses are still occupied what means one third.
"Blic" 13. 1. 2005

Pristina – Kosovo Energetics Commission representative Baljok Berisaj said that Serbian households in Batus and Lipljana will not have electricity until all debts that the community owes to the commission
are paid in full. He added that there are 70 other villages that have no power currently in the Kosovo region and that they will all remain without electricity until the debts that the communities owe are paid off. Berisaj also denied the claims of Coordination Center President Nebojsa Covic that companies were being formed to network electricity into the Serbian communities in the region. Serbian officials in the region had stated earlier that according to reliable sources, nearly 80 percent of the Albanian population that receives electricity from the Kosovo Energetics Commission is not paying for it.
"B92" 13. 1. 2005.

Pristina-- Thursday – A Nigerian policeman serving in the United Nations police force in Kosovo was killed this morning when his official vehicle exploded in Prizren. Police spokesman Fatmir Gjugjali told media that the explosion happened at 8.30 today but was unable to give further details. Kosovo’s UN governor, Soeren Jessen-Petersen, told media he was shocked and sent his condolences to the victim’s family.
"B92" 13. 1. 2005.

Belgrade - Humanitarian aid in medical drugs and disposable medical material that arrived to Serbia from various countries was already a waste to a considerable extent. The Clinical Center of Serbia has at the moment about six tons of medical drugs and disposable material received when the validity date for their use has already expired. The six tons of such waste is also piled in the premises of the Clinical Center of Nis. The situation in Kragujevac is similar. Thus many countries were releasing themselves of the waste, while the hospitals here were telling them 'thank you' for decency. It has to be mentioned that the costs of destruction of such medical material are several times higher than the aid itself when still valid for use.
The only positive example is 'Pharmacists without borders'. All of their supplies were outstanding.
Tanjug 13. 1. 2005.

Podgorica - Montenegrin President Filip Vujanovic Thursday informed the US Defense Department delegation, headed by Rear Admiral Donald Loren, about Podgorica's determination to carry out army reforms as fast as possible, with the assurances that they will have the necessary support of Pentagon and State Department.
Tanjug 13. 1. 2005.

Belgrade - Citizens of Serbia and Montenegro would like that the state union survives. The percentage of those wishing so is almost the same in both republics. In Serbia 50 per cents want so, while 29 per cents
do not. In Montenegro the relation is 49 to 30 in favour of the state union. These are results of the poll carried out by the Center for political research and public opinion of the Institute for social sciences in Belgrade. In Serbia 47 per cents say that the relations between Serbia and Montenegro are bad. Only 7 per cent say they are good. In Montenegro 47 per cents claim that the relations between the two republics are bad, while only 7 per cents say they are good.
"Blic" 16.1.2005.

Belgrade - Belgrade will be the host of Unversiade 2009, the most important sports manifestation after Olympic Games. The jubilee 25th Universiade will be held from 15 to 26 July 2009. About ten thousand participants from 180 countries are expected to come to our capital and compete in 13 sports. About 100,000 visitors and tourists are expected to follow the Universiade.
"Blic" 12.1.2005.

Belgrade – At a meeting of the nation's top officials today, it was decided that the South Serbia Coordination Center will now included representatives of the Albanian community as well. It was also decided that the center should play a key role in solving problems in the region. According to the Beta news agency, the current crisis in South Serbia topped the meeting’s agenda and that officials decided that the Coordination Center needs to function in better cooperation with other national administrations in the future ...
Belgrade’s Humanitarian Law Centre is relentless in its pursuit of justice for the victims of crimes and the uncovering of crimes committed by the state. Centre Director Natasa Kandic caused a storm this week, accusing senior government figures and senior police officials of orchestrating a cover-up of Kosovo war crimes.
"B92" 12.1.2005

Belgrade - According to poll carried out by 'Medium Gallup' over expectations in 2005, the citizens of Serbia are in the list of the leading pessimists in the world. On the other hand, citizens of Kosovo are in the list of the leading optimists in recent four years.
Even 43 percents of the citizens of Serbia /18 percents more compared to 2004/ have negative expectations in this year. Gloomy thoughts of Serbia citizens over the future of the country put our country in the fourth place of the most pessimistic countries in the world. Only citizens of the Philippines, Greece and Korea are more pessimistic than we are.
"Blic" 13. 1. 2005.

Belgrade - Serbia president Boris Tadic said that 'there must be no war in the south of Serbia' and that he personally would do his utmost that 'something like that does not happen'.
'The situation is very delicate and adequate measures are to be undertaken for stabilization of situation in that part of Serbia', Tadic said.
"Blic 13. 1. 2005.

Belgrade - According to agreement that Croatia Prime Minister Ivo Sanader and Serb representatives in Croatia Parliament signed on December 18, 2003, Croatia undertook to return to Serbs all of their still occupied homes until the end of 2004.
Serb representatives in Croatia Parliament warned on several occasions that return of the homes was not going on at agreed dynamics. The promise has always been that the deadline 'shall be respected almost in full'.
However, it has not happened so. Out of 3,509 occupied houses at the beginning of implementation of the agreement /January 2004/, 1,197 houses are still occupied what means one third.
"Blic" 13. 1. 2005

Pristina – Kosovo Energetics Commission representative Baljok Berisaj said that Serbian households in Batus and Lipljana will not have electricity until all debts that the community owes to the commission are paid in full.
He added that there are 70 other villages that have no power currently in the Kosovo region and that they will all remain without electricity until the debts that the communities owe are paid off.
Berisaj also denied the claims of Coordination Center President Nebojsa Covic that companies were being formed to network electricity into the Serbian communities in the region.
Serbian officials in the region had stated earlier that according to reliable sources, nearly 80 percent of the Albanian population that receives electricity from the Kosovo Energetics Commission is not paying for it.
"B92" 13. 1. 2005.

Pristina-- Thursday – A Nigerian policeman serving in the United Nations police force in Kosovo was killed this morning when his official vehicle exploded in Prizren.
Police spokesman Fatmir Gjugjali told media that the explosion happened at 8.30 today but was unable to give further details.
Kosovo’s UN governor, Soeren Jessen-Petersen, told media he was shocked and sent his condolences to the victim’s family.
"B92" 13. 1. 2005.

Belgrade - Humanitarian aid in medical drugs and disposable medical material that arrived to Serbia from various countries was already a waste to a considerable extent.
The Clinical Center of Serbia has at the moment about six tons of medical drugs and disposable material received when the validity date for their use has already expired. The six tons of such waste is also piled in the premises of the Clinical Center of Nis. The situation in Kragujevac is similar.
Thus many countries were releasing themselves of the waste, while the hospitals here were telling them 'thank you' for decency. It has to be mentioned that the costs of destruction of such medical material are several times higher than the aid itself when still valid for use.
The only positive example is 'Pharmacists without borders'. All of their supplies were outstanding.
Tanjug 13. 1. 2005.

Podgorica - Montenegrin President Filip Vujanovic Thursday informed the US Defense Department delegation, headed by Rear Admiral Donald Loren, about Podgorica's determination to carry out army reforms as fast as possible, with the assurances that they will have the necessary support of Pentagon and State Department.
Tanjug 13. 1. 2005.

Belgrade - Citizens of Serbia and Montenegro would like that the state union survives. The percentage of those wishing so is almost the same in both republics. In Serbia 50 per cents want so, while 29 per cents do not. In Montenegro the relation is 49 to 30 in favour of the state union. These are results of the poll carried out by the Center for political research and public opinion of the Institute for social sciences in Belgrade.
In Serbia 47 per cents say that the relations between Serbia and Montenegro are bad. Only 7 per cent say they are good. In Montenegro 47 per cents claim that the relations between the two republics are bad, while only 7 per cents say they are good.
"Blic" 16.1.2005.

BELGRADE - The first 'Simpo' furniture show room was opened on Sunday in Stockholm. Show room is situated in the city center and Mosa Stankovic, co-owner of the stock corporation, opened the salon. 'It was
Simpo's initiative. After that my colleague from Sweden and I went to town of Vranje and visited the factory. We liked the furniture very much and the cooperation is set with no problems', Mosa Stankovic said.
"Blic" 18. 1. 2005

.BELGRADE - Serbian President Boris Tadic demanded on Monday in talks with UNMIK chief Soren Jessen-Petersen that electric power be restored immediately to Serbian villages in Kosovo and Metohija and that work groups after that start tackling the problem.
Tanjug 17. 1. 2005.

PRISTINA - UNMIK and interim Kosovo institutions have started work on a report on the protection of minority rights, which must be drafted in accordance with the Framework Convention on Minority Protection, one of key European agreements regarding human rights.
Tanjug 19. 1. 2005.

LONDON - The state union of Serbia and Montenegro (SCG) is determined to become a part of the democratic world and its army a part of Euro-Atlantic integrations, SCG Defence Minister Prvoslav Davinic said during a lecture at the Royal Institute in London.
Tanjug 19. 1. 2005.

One Serb and one Croatian, for which police suspect that they work in black market, are incustody with fore more persons on the airport Wien -Svehat. In their luggage is found 30 kilos of cocaine, worth 3 million euros.
"Blic" 19. 1. 2005.

BELGRADE - Elections for the Serbia-Montenegro (SCG) parliament will not be held in February because they have not been called, but most probably either in March or April, SCG parliament President Zoran Sami said Wednesday.
Tanjug 19. 1. 2005.


BELGRADE - Roughly 68,7 per cents of the citizens are of the opinion that authorities did not give its all to prevent American sanctions. 63,5 per cents consider that they do not do anything in this particular moment to find the solution. This poll, conducted by Marten Board Agency, covers the period from January 15th to 18th, 2005. The majority of citizens think that the main reason for imposing
sanctions is not hauling to The Tribunal. Less number of them does not share this opinion. 63 per cents consider that these sanctions affected more innocent citizens than politicians. However, majority is not
concerned about its future without sufficient financial help of America. 30 per cents are in fear because of no financial support. It is very interesting that the half of those interviewed refused to answer on the question who is the most responsible for the new sanctions and should they resign, because, as they say, those are 'too delicate questions'.
"Blic" 20. 1. 2005

BELGRADE, LONDON -- Wednesday – Barely a week remains to the generally agreed deadline of January 27 for extraditing four army and police generals to the Hague Tribunal.While the US Administration has frozen aid to Serbia because of lack of cooperation with the international war crimes court, Serbia’s
government is still talking about negotiating for the surrender of the generals “so as not to cause a public uproar”.  The word “arrest” has hardly been heard.
Sources close to the government say that if there are no surrenders by January 27, three of the generals will be arrested, Danas writes today.
The Belgrade daily quotes the same sources as saying that the US Administration’s announcement that ten million dollars in aid would be cut was a put up-job, agreed on with Belgrade in an attempt to shift public opinion in Serbia.
In any case, writes Danas, the arrest of the generals will not be the same kind of media spectacle as the suburban stakeout which led to the arrest of Veselin Sljivancanin in 2003, so there is little danger of
the public outcry the government is at pains to avoid.Army won’t resist Defence Minister Prvoslav Davinic says that the extradition of the generals to The Hague would not make waves in the army.
“The army has a high level of awareness and understands this situation completely.  No one is accusing the army of anything, this is about a number of people who have been accused and we will give them all assistance possible to defend themselves,” Davinic told the BBC in London.
The defence minister emphasised that the army was keen to be seen as cooperative and did not want all its members written off as criminals.
B 92 20. 1. 2005

BELGRADE - The first 'Simpo' furniture show room was opened on Sunday in Stockholm. Show room is situated in the city center and Mosa Stankovic, co-owner of the stock corporation, opened the salon. 'It was Simpo's initiative. After that my colleague from Sweden and I went to town of Vranje and visited the factory. We liked the furniture very much and the cooperation is set with no problems', Mosa Stankovic said.
"Blic" 18. 1. 2005

.BELGRADE - Serbian President Boris Tadic demanded on Monday in talks with UNMIK chief Soren Jessen-Petersen that electric power be restored immediately to Serbian villages in Kosovo and Metohija and that work groups after that start tackling the problem.
Tanjug 17. 1. 2005.

PRISTINA - UNMIK and interim Kosovo institutions have started work on a report on the protection of minority rights, which must be drafted in accordance with the Framework Convention on Minority Protection, one of key European agreements regarding human rights.
Tanjug 19. 1. 2005.

LONDON - The state union of Serbia and Montenegro (SCG) is determined to become a part of the democratic world and its army a part of Euro-Atlantic integrations, SCG Defence Minister Prvoslav Davinic said during a lecture at the Royal Institute in London.
Tanjug 19. 1. 2005.


One Serb and one Croatian, for which police suspect that they work in black market, are incustody with fore more persons on the airport Wien -Svehat. In their luggage is found 30 kilos of cocaine, worth 3 million euros.
"Blic" 19. 1. 2005.

BELGRADE - Elections for the Serbia-Montenegro (SCG) parliament will not be held in February because they have not been called, but most probably either in March or April, SCG parliament President Zoran Sami said Wednesday.
Tanjug 19. 1. 2005.

BELGRADE - Roughly 68,7 per cents of the citizens are of the opinion that authorities did not give its all to prevent American sanctions. 63,5 per cents consider that they do not do anything in this particular moment to find the solution. This poll, conducted by Marten Board Agency, covers the period from January 15th to 18th, 2005.
The majority of citizens think that the main reason for imposing sanctions is not hauling to The Tribunal. Less number of them does not share this opinion. 63 per cents consider that these sanctions affected more innocent citizens than politicians. However, majority is not concerned about its future without sufficient financial help of America. 30 per cents are in fear because of no financial support. It is very interesting that the half of those interviewed refused to answer on the question who is the most responsible for the new sanctions and should they resign, because, as they say, those are 'too delicate questions'.
"Blic" 20. 1. 2005

BELGRADE, LONDON -- Wednesday – Barely a week remains to the generally agreed deadline of January 27 for extraditing four army and police generals to the Hague Tribunal.
While the US Administration has frozen aid to Serbia because of lack of cooperation with the international war crimes court, Serbia’s government is still talking about negotiating for the surrender of the generals “so as not to cause a public uproar”.  The word “arrest” has hardly been heard.
Sources close to the government say that if there are no surrenders by January 27, three of the generals will be arrested, Danas writes today.
The Belgrade daily quotes the same sources as saying that the US Administration’s announcement that ten million dollars in aid would be cut was a put up-job, agreed on with Belgrade in an attempt to shift public opinion in Serbia.
In any case, writes Danas, the arrest of the generals will not be the same kind of media spectacle as the suburban stakeout which led to the arrest of Veselin Sljivancanin in 2003, so there is little danger of the public outcry the government is at pains to avoid.
Army won’t resist
Defence Minister Prvoslav Davinic says that the extradition of the generals to The Hague would not make waves in the army.
“The army has a high level of awareness and understands this situation completely.  No one is accusing the army of anything, this is about a number of people who have been accused and we will give them all assistance possible to defend themselves,” Davinic told the BBC in London.
The defence minister emphasised that the army was keen to be seen as cooperative and did not want all its members written off as criminals.
B 92 20. 1. 2005

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