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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Long-term economic development strategy as economic team's essential task

Belgrade, 8 April 2006

Head of the Economic team for Kosovo-Metohija and Southern Serbia Nenad Popovic said today that the team's essential task is to draft and implement a long-term strategy for economic development of Southern Serbia and Serb communities in Kosovo-Metohija, as well as to create conditions for new jobs and more foreign investment.

Author: Fonet

Following the first session of the Economic team, Popovic told the press that the team's aim is to compose a long-term economic development strategy within six months. The strategy will later be included in the long-term strategy for economic development of Serbia before 2012 and first results are to be expected next year, he added.

Popovic explained that the team will also take care of daily issues in the province and stressed that the energy situation there is disastrous. Together with UNMIK forces and ethnic-Albanians we could find a solution so that the residents of Kosovo can spend the next winter in a much better situation, said Popovic.

Sanda Raskovic-Ivic, who also attended the session, said that the employment rate will not increase in the Province unless the economic standard of the people in Kosovo is improved.

She pointed out that the unemployment rate in Serb enclaves in Kosovo is up to 90%, that 10,500 families live off social care, whereas around 50,000 people lost their jobs. She added that help must be provided for these people.

The Economic team members are experts from 11 economic areas. President of the Trade Union at the Serbian Chamber of Commerce Toplica Spasojevic is the team's trade expert, General Director of the Electric Power Industry of Serbia Vladimir Djordjevic is the infrastructure expert and Director of the Serbian Development Institute Edvard Jakopin is the expert in economic development.

The team's coordinator for the energy sector is General Director of the Electric Network of Serbia (EMS) Dragan Vignjevic and the expert for traffic is General Director of the Mihajlo Pupin Institute Vladan Batanovic.

Privatisation issues will be addressed by Professor at the Faculty of Economics (Belgrade University) Bozidar Cerovic and social issues by Director of the National Employment Service Radovan Ristanovic.

Dejan Trifunovic will be in charge of small and medium-sized enterprises, as he performs the same function at the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, whereas agricultural issues will be addressed by Advisor at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Dragan Pusar. The state-union's agent before the European Court for Human Rights Slavoljub Caric will be in charge of property and legal issues.

Finance and banking issues as well as investment funds will be under the jurisdiction of the visiting Professor at the London School of Economics, Marko Malovic.

Apart from 11 experts, the team will have around 20 associates.