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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Serbian government will not accept unilateral takeover of Trepca by Pristina

Belgrade, 18 January 2015

Director of the Serbian government’s Office for Kosovo-Metohija Marko Djuric stated today that the Serbian government will not accept a unilateral takeover by Pristina of the Mining, Metallurgical and Chemical Complex Trepca, as its majority shareholder is the Development Fund of the Republic of Serbia and warned that this will jeopardise the negotiating process between Belgrade and Pristina.

Djuric said at a press conference in the Serbian government that this is a unilateral seizure and confiscation of Trepca and of 100% of its ownership and 100% of management rights in the company, which is announced for 2 February.

Aleksandar Antic

The Serbian government believes that this act renders senseless the whole negotiation process in Brussels, Djuric said, noting that around 4,000 Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija depend on Trepca and around 20,000 members of their families.

Minister of Energy and Mining Aleksandar Antic said that any change in the ownership of Trepca can destabilise the situation in Kosovo-Metohija.

Zeljko Sertic

Minister of Economy Zeljko Sertic said that about 56% of the capital of Trepca is owned by the Development Fund of the Republic of Serbia, and it has debts of around $400 million.

Trepca was formally among the 502 companies scheduled for privatisation, and four letters of interest from abroad were submitted for it, from Hungary, Canada, Switzerland and the United States, Sertic underlined and said that this shows that in these countries the right of property is sacred.

According to him, the Serbian government decided to suspend privatisation process from 19 companies from Kosovo-Metohija while negotiations in Brussels are in course.

If the Pristina government does not withdraw its decision on Trepca, the Serbian Privatisation Agency will start the privatisation of Trepca, because Serbia is obliged to protect its property, the Minister of Economy warned.

Aleksandar Vulin

Minister of Labour, Employment, Social and Veteran Affairs Aleksandar Vulin conveyed the official letter of the Trepca trade union who have announced that they will be on strike as tomorrow, until the ownership of Trepca is defined, noting that it is clear that the majority owner of Trepca is the Serbian Development Fund.

The protest will last until talks on Trepca are brought back onto the negotiating table, Vulin added.