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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

State bodies to intensify cooperation in offering aid to Kosovo Serbs

Belgrade, 25 October 2005

Head of the Coordinating Centre for Kosovo-Metohija Sanda Raskovic-Ivic and representatives of 11 Serbian ministries reached an agreement today to improve their cooperation in offering aid to the Serbian population in Kosovo.

According to a statement released by the Coordinating Centre, the Serbian Ministry of Finance will continue to provide funds for the Centre's work in 2006. In addition, the ministry will for the first time set aside 60 million dinars for the salaries and work of Radio Television of Pristina, whose head office is in Zvecane.

The Ministry of Science and Environmental Protection will offer scholarships to scientists living in the province and will set aside funds for projects of environmental protection for northern Kosovo-Metohija.

Participants in the meeting agreed that the Ministry of Justice helped to improve cooperation with UNMIK in the application of international legal assistance. Also, lawyers from Serbia voiced readiness to continue offering free legal assistance, through the Ministry of Justice, to any displaced persons who want to claim indemnity for destroyed property in Kosovo.

Representatives of the Ministry of Justice pointed out significant problems in the privatisation process being carried out by UNMIK and the Kosovo Trust Agency, concluding that property rights and Serbian laws are not being respected in the province.

It has been constituted at the meeting that the Coordinating Centre and the Ministry of Capital Investment are cooperating well, having realised projects worth 200 million dinars in Kosovo-Metohija in the current year.

Representatives of the Ministry of Religion will continue to provide funds for priests, monks, for the scholarship fund of the Theological Faculty, and for the continued renovation of churches and monasteries. The ministry will also allocate a sum of 15 million dinars for the renovation of the monasteries of Sveta Petka in Leposavic, Sveti Vraci in Lesak and Majka Trojerucica in Zvecane.

As part of the assistance for the upcoming decentralisation process in Kosovo-Metohija, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education and Sport will strengthen the network of health centres and educational establishments, while the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Policy will create conditions for resolving problems under its jurisdiction.

The statement reads that at today’s meeting a proposal by Head of the Coordinating Centre for Kosovo-Metohija Sanda Raskovic-Ivic was also accepted, according to which such meetings will be held every 15 days with the aim of improving efficiency on the ground.