Keepin touch

Whether you have a question, comment, suggestion or any problem in the purview of the government, send us your message and we will try to respond as soon as possible. If your problem is not in our purview, we will forward your message to the relevant institution.

The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Serbian government takes resolute steps to meet all obligations towards Hague tribunal

Belgrade, 6 December 2004

Serbian Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government and a member of the National Council for Cooperation with The Hague Tribunal Zoran Loncar speaks with daily Politika today about cooperation with the Hague tribunal, surrenders by indictees, the existence of an unanimous stand in Serbia and Serbia-Montenegro on the necessity to cooperate with the Hague tribunal, stability of the Serbian government, and its further steps towards implementation of this cooperation. The Serbian government’s official web site provides excerpts from the interview.

Zoran Loncar

Cooperation with the Hague tribunal?

- As much as I expect this government to fulfil its obligations towards the Hague tribunal very soon, I also expect the Hague tribunal, after concrete steps that the Serbian government is about to take, to show willingness to establish mutual efforts with Serbia-Montenegro. I hope that the decision to temporarily release Jovica Stanisic and Franko Simatovic is proof of the tribunal’s different attitude to Serbia-Montenegro.

Voluntary surrender of Hague indictee Dragomir Milosevic?

- This act is yet another proof of the success of the voluntary surrender approach, favoured by the Serbian government as a way to cooperate with the Hague tribunal when it comes to handing over indictees.

On allegations in the Hague tribunal’s report that Serbia is not cooperating?

- The fact that 25 indictees have been transferred to The Hague since January 1, 2002 - since January 2003 it was 11 – shows that cooperation with the Hague tribunal also exists in the field of handing over indictees and that the assertion from the Hague tribunal’s report is inappropriate. It is true that only two indictees have been handed over this year but that is due to the fact that early parliamentary elections were held late in 2003 as well as a presidential election and local and provincial elections this year. Now that the election cycle has been completed, the Serbian government intends to take resolute steps in order to meet all its obligations towards the Hague tribunal, just as I conveyed at the sessions of the UN General Assembly on November 15 and of the UN Security Council on November 23.

Elections as a reason for lack of more concrete cooperation?

- When making decisions, this government, as much as any other government, must primarily mind the stability of state institutions. The assessment was that any form of cooperation with the Hague tribunal would destabilize the already fragile state institutions in Serbia. Given that the election period is behind us now, we are ready to take resolute steps to meet all our obligations towards the Hague tribunal. Concrete results will be visible very soon. Concrete results means that the government will take steps that will meet the obligation to fully cooperate with the Hague tribunal in the best possible way, including handing over documents, feeing witnesses from prosecution under state secrets laws, and handing over certain indictees. While taking concrete steps, the government will always mind national interests and choose the best possible way to meet its obligations towards the tribunal in full.

Agreement within Serbia and Serbia-Montenegro on the necessity to cooperate with the Hague tribunal?

- I think that there is full agreement among top officials of both Serbia and Serbia-Montenegro that full cooperation with the Hague tribunal is compulsory, simply because it is an international obligation of Serbia-Montenegro as a member of the United Nations.

Allegations that there is no consensus among political forces on cooperation with the Hague tribunal?

- I have never heard, at any government session, any member of the government putting forward a view that would oppose the stand that our country needs full cooperation with the tribunal. Also, as a member of the National Council for Cooperation with The Hague Tribunal, I have never taken part in making a decision that was not unanimous among its members. So, things that one may hear in the media sometimes create a distorted picture of what is really happening in official circles.

Stability of the Serbian government and passing a new constitution?

- This government will stay in power for as long as it does its job well. So far, in my opinion, it has been incomparably better than the previous government. At this moment, it is just as stable as it was when it was formed on March 3 this year. I believe that it will continue to do its job well and that it will fulfil its four-year term. The government, of course, does not equate its term in office with the need for Serbia to get a new constitution. The proof of this is the unanimous decision in the parliament on December 2 to start changing the constitution. Unfortunately, the implementation of that decision has been stalled. So far, we have not made that crucial step forward.