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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Venice Commission, CoE offer support to Serbia in EU integration

31 May 2007

Belgrade/Strasburg, May 31, 2007- Serbian Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government Milan Markovic said today that as the country currently holding chairmanship of the Committee of Minister of the Council of Europe (CoE) Serbia will make special efforts to strengthen regional cooperation and eliminate corruption, organised crime and terrorism.

Markovic who is participating in the plenary session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the CoE in Strasburg said in a statement to the news agency Beta that he will emphasise Serbia’s priorities at the meeting during its chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers.

He said that during his stay in Strasburg he met with secretary generals of the CoE and Venice Commission Terry Davis and Gianni Buquicchio who offered to provide support to Serbia in the process of further reform and EU integration.

CoE and Venice Commission officials were particularly interested in the further development of the Serbian Constitution through laws, especially those decrees to which the Venice Commission had especially objected, said Markovic.

According to Markovic, the objections made by the Venice Commission were related to specific judicial issues, regarding which Commission representatives were concerned over the process of selection of office-holders in the judiciary and the way it affects the independence of the judiciary.

The Minister said that his collocutors recommended that a meeting be held in the near future with Serbian government representatives, so that they could help in the process of developing the justice system.

He said that the issue of fulfilling obligations undertaken by Serbia by joining the CoE, implying above all, cooperation with the Hague tribunal, was discussed during the meeting with Davis.

The plenary session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the CoE will last until June 1, and the main subject of the session is development of local democracies and borders beyond Europe, and cooperation with Morocco, Japan and Mexico.