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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Regional conference on climate change

Belgrade, 24 November 2009

State Secretary at the Serbian Ministry of Energy and Mining Nikola Rajakovic said today that the South Eastern European regional ministerial conference, “Climate Change and Energy”, has been organised so that the region can present its ideas and views on resolving the problems caused by climate change at the UN climate change conference to start on December 7 in Copenhagen.

Speaking at a press conference, Rajakovic said that it is expected that the two day regional conference, which will begin tomorrow in Belgrade, will produce valuable ideas and help prepare the countries for the conference in Copenhagen.

He said that energy, economy and environmental protection have become inevitably linked, adding that the conference of countries signatory to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change will be held from December 7 to 18 in Copenhagen, so that a new climate change agreement may be formed to replace the Kyoto Protocol.

State Secretary at the Ministry of Environment Ivica Radovic pointed to the importance of the preservation of the environment through the reduction of fossil fuel use and its replacement with natural gas or other energy sources, as well as the importance of increasing energy efficiency and recycling.

He said that Serbia earlier joined the Regional Forum on Climate Change, together with Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia and Montenegro, adding that the last meeting of the Forum was held in October this year in Budva, when agreement was reached concerning a joint platform for the Copenhagen conference.

EPS Executive Director Bratislav Ceperkovic said that he hopes that the regional conference in Belgrade will facilitate the formation of a regional policy and platform for fight against climate change, adding that emission reduction is a condition that Serbia and other countries in the region must fulfil before they can join the EU.

He said that the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development will invest €27 billion in environmental protection in the region over the next eight years.

Ceperkovic said that at the regional conference Serbia will make a presentation about the region of Mecavnik and Mokra Gora because the area has become an example of how energy efficiency, nature conservation and sustainable growth can be put into practice successfully.

The conference will be opened by Serbian President Boris Tadic, Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning Oliver Dulic and Minister of Energy and Mining Petar Skundric.

The conference has been organised by the Ministry of Mining and Energy, in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment, the EPS and the Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia.