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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Diplomatic initiative for clarifying Ahtisaari's statement

Belgrade, 31 August 2006

Head of the Coordinating Centre for Kosovo-Metohija Sanda Raskovic-Ivic said today that Serbian authorities will request that UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan clarifies the statement made by his envoy for Kosovo status Marti Ahtisaari that "the Serbs are guilty as a nation."

Raskovic-Ivic said at a press conference that with this statement, Ahtisaari placed the Serbian people outside the law. She added that Belgrade will insist on an explanation because that statement additionally complicates negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina on Kosovo-Metohija and that Serbia is ready to accept Ahtisaari's apology.

The head of the Coordinating Centre said that a diplomatic initiative on clarifying Ahtisaari's statement was taken by the cabinets of the Serbian president and prime minister, as well as the Foreign Ministry.

She said that the Serbian government today sent to the Serbian parliament a request to hold an extraordinary session on Kosovo-Metohija, which will most probably take place after the negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina in Vienna on September 7 and 8, on decentralisation and protection of the Serbian orthodox religious and cultural heritage in the province.

Raskovic-Ivic announced that at that session Serbian government representatives will address Serbian parliament members. She also confirmed that the UN Security Council will hold a session in New York on September 11 dedicated to the situation in Kosovo-Metohija at which she will present Serbia's positions on Kosovo-Metohija.

At today's session, the Serbian government adopted the National Investment Plan for Kosovo-Metohija, for which it has set aside €30.8 million from the budget.

She said that these funds are intended for Kosovo's economic development, for road infrastructure in the province, housing construction and education, stressing that these funds are very important for the survival of Serbian people in Kosovo-Metohija and for the process of decentralisation.