Q:
A:
Extensive legislative activity ahead of new government
Belgrade,
11 March 2004
Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said on Thursday that extensive legislative activity is ahead of the new government, staring with the drafting of a new budget bill.
Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica
The Serbian parliament's constitutional board will start preparing a new constitution whose adoption is seen as a precondition for substantial changes and further reforms, Kostunica told a press conference in his first address to reporters as the Serbian Prime Minister.
The new ministers in the government have been busy in the past week preparing reports on what their inherited from the previous government, said Kostunica, noting that the reports show that certain ministries still lack key laws or strategies. The Prime Minister went on to say that such a state of affairs can hardly be justified three years after the democratic changes, adding that all ministers have asked for budget inspections.
The structure of certain ministries does not mach their scope of authority stemming from the Law on ministries, said Kostunica, naming the Ministry of Economy and Privatisation as an example.
Following the completion of reports, the new ministers have embarked on proposing legal solutions within their authority, the Prime Minister added.
Kostunica said he will meet with the Montenegrin Prime Minister and officials of the Montenegrin government next week. Serbian government officials are scheduled to meet with representatives of the Anti-Corruption Council on Monday to discuss a bill on conflict of interest prevention which the government earlier approved. Representatives of the government are also due to hold talks with trade union members next week, the Prime Minister said, noting that Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Affairs Slobodan Lalovic has already launched consultations with trade unions.
Speaking about his activities in international affairs, the Prime Minister recalled that he met with US Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Kathleen Stephens and UN Secretary-General Special Representative for Kosovo-Metohija Harri Holkeri last week. Kostunica also held talks with Macedonian Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski in Skopje last week, with the two top officials stressing that representatives of the Serbian and Macedonian governments should maintain regular contacts.
Kostunica said that he will meet with European Union top officials in Brussels on March 23, including High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana, EU Commissioner for External Relations Chris Patten and Irish Foreign Minister Brian Cowen, who is the current chairman of the EU Presidency.
Kostunica voiced hope that EU officials will support the Serbian government's pan-European orientation.
The Prime Minister said that a meeting with Serbia-Montenegrin President Svetozar Marovic is also on the agenda.
Kostunica said that the government adopted a decision on Thursday requesting that Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Kosovo-Metohija Harri Holkeri take urgent measures to protect the property of the Serb community, the Serbian Orthodox Church, and the Republic of Serbia, as well as the cultural monuments in the province.
The government also demanded that the application of a law on property ownership register, passed by the Kosovo parliament, be stopped, and said it will set up a commission with the Coordinating Centre for Kosovo-Metohija to probe all legal, economic and political consequences of the law's enforcement.
Kostunica said that members of both the former and present governments will pay homage to late Serbian prime minister Zoran Djindjic on March 12, marking one year from his assassination.
Referring to a devastating fire that caught the Serbian Orthodox monastery Hilandar on the Mt Athos in Greece, the Prime Minister said that the government will prepare a long-term reconstruction plan, which will be included in the 2004 budget.
Kostunica said that he addressed a letter to Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar on behalf of the Serbian government, condemning in harshest terms the terrorist attack which took place in Madrid this morning. The Prime Minister stressed that no motive can justify such insane actions that are targeted against innocent citizens.
The new ministers in the government have been busy in the past week preparing reports on what their inherited from the previous government, said Kostunica, noting that the reports show that certain ministries still lack key laws or strategies. The Prime Minister went on to say that such a state of affairs can hardly be justified three years after the democratic changes, adding that all ministers have asked for budget inspections.
The structure of certain ministries does not mach their scope of authority stemming from the Law on ministries, said Kostunica, naming the Ministry of Economy and Privatisation as an example.
Following the completion of reports, the new ministers have embarked on proposing legal solutions within their authority, the Prime Minister added.
Kostunica said he will meet with the Montenegrin Prime Minister and officials of the Montenegrin government next week. Serbian government officials are scheduled to meet with representatives of the Anti-Corruption Council on Monday to discuss a bill on conflict of interest prevention which the government earlier approved. Representatives of the government are also due to hold talks with trade union members next week, the Prime Minister said, noting that Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Affairs Slobodan Lalovic has already launched consultations with trade unions.
Speaking about his activities in international affairs, the Prime Minister recalled that he met with US Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Kathleen Stephens and UN Secretary-General Special Representative for Kosovo-Metohija Harri Holkeri last week. Kostunica also held talks with Macedonian Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski in Skopje last week, with the two top officials stressing that representatives of the Serbian and Macedonian governments should maintain regular contacts.
Kostunica said that he will meet with European Union top officials in Brussels on March 23, including High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana, EU Commissioner for External Relations Chris Patten and Irish Foreign Minister Brian Cowen, who is the current chairman of the EU Presidency.
Kostunica voiced hope that EU officials will support the Serbian government's pan-European orientation.
The Prime Minister said that a meeting with Serbia-Montenegrin President Svetozar Marovic is also on the agenda.
Kostunica said that the government adopted a decision on Thursday requesting that Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Kosovo-Metohija Harri Holkeri take urgent measures to protect the property of the Serb community, the Serbian Orthodox Church, and the Republic of Serbia, as well as the cultural monuments in the province.
The government also demanded that the application of a law on property ownership register, passed by the Kosovo parliament, be stopped, and said it will set up a commission with the Coordinating Centre for Kosovo-Metohija to probe all legal, economic and political consequences of the law's enforcement.
Kostunica said that members of both the former and present governments will pay homage to late Serbian prime minister Zoran Djindjic on March 12, marking one year from his assassination.
Referring to a devastating fire that caught the Serbian Orthodox monastery Hilandar on the Mt Athos in Greece, the Prime Minister said that the government will prepare a long-term reconstruction plan, which will be included in the 2004 budget.
Kostunica said that he addressed a letter to Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar on behalf of the Serbian government, condemning in harshest terms the terrorist attack which took place in Madrid this morning. The Prime Minister stressed that no motive can justify such insane actions that are targeted against innocent citizens.
