Newsroom
Go-ahead agreement for southern Serbia Co-ordination Groups signed at OSCE Mission in Belgrade
BELGRADE 4 March 2005
BELGRADE, 4 March 2005 - The Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia and Montenegro, Ambassador Maurizio Massari, today welcomed an agreement for the municipalities of Bujanovac, Presevo and Medvedja to appoint representatives to eight Co-ordination Groups established by the Serbian Government's Co-ordination Body for southern Serbia and for the Co-ordination Body to convene constitutive session of these groups by 20 March.
A timetable for forming these groups to address issues such as security, education, justice, economic development, media health, culture and infrastructure was confirmed in a joint statement signed on 3 March by the Co-ordination Body Chairman Dr. Nebojsa Covic and five local political leaders. Senior European Union, European Commission and U.S. diplomats were present at the signing meeting, held at the OSCE Mission to Serbia and Montenegro.
"Strict implementation of this timetable by all parties should intensify dialogue and practical action in the areas of security, economic and social development, education and further integration of minorities in the judiciary," said Ambassador Massari. "The next step is to ensure that all parties work constructively and seriously to deal with the wide range of critical issues facing the communities."
The following is the text of the Joint Statement signed on 3 March:
"We met today with the OSCE Mission to Serbia and Montenegro and with senior representatives of the Embassy of the United States, of the European Union and the European Commission.
We reiterated our commitment to work together to bring qualitative improvements to the lives of all citizens of Presevo, Bujanovac, and Medvedja.
We agreed that representatives from the municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac, and Medvedja must work closely with the Co-ordination Body in order to make rapid and substantial progress on issues of importance to these three municipalities.
We agreed that by Friday, 11 March, each municipality will appoint representatives to the eight Co-ordination Groups. We recognize that the active engagement of these representatives in the Co-ordination Groups represents an important step in operationalizing the work of the Co-ordination Body.
We agreed that the Co-ordinating Body will organize constitutive sessions of each of the eight Co-ordination Groups before 20 March .
Belgrade, 3 March 2005
Nebojsa Covic, President of the Southern Serbia Co-ordinating Body
Nagip Arifi, President of Bujanovac Municipality
Slobodan Draskovic, President of Medvedja Municipality
Riza Halimi, President of Presevo Municipality, and Party of Democratic Action
Jonuz Musliu, President of the Movement for Democratic Progress
Skender Destani, President of the Democratic Union of the Valley"
A timetable for forming these groups to address issues such as security, education, justice, economic development, media health, culture and infrastructure was confirmed in a joint statement signed on 3 March by the Co-ordination Body Chairman Dr. Nebojsa Covic and five local political leaders. Senior European Union, European Commission and U.S. diplomats were present at the signing meeting, held at the OSCE Mission to Serbia and Montenegro.
"Strict implementation of this timetable by all parties should intensify dialogue and practical action in the areas of security, economic and social development, education and further integration of minorities in the judiciary," said Ambassador Massari. "The next step is to ensure that all parties work constructively and seriously to deal with the wide range of critical issues facing the communities."
The following is the text of the Joint Statement signed on 3 March:
"We met today with the OSCE Mission to Serbia and Montenegro and with senior representatives of the Embassy of the United States, of the European Union and the European Commission.
We reiterated our commitment to work together to bring qualitative improvements to the lives of all citizens of Presevo, Bujanovac, and Medvedja.
We agreed that representatives from the municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac, and Medvedja must work closely with the Co-ordination Body in order to make rapid and substantial progress on issues of importance to these three municipalities.
We agreed that by Friday, 11 March, each municipality will appoint representatives to the eight Co-ordination Groups. We recognize that the active engagement of these representatives in the Co-ordination Groups represents an important step in operationalizing the work of the Co-ordination Body.
We agreed that the Co-ordinating Body will organize constitutive sessions of each of the eight Co-ordination Groups before 20 March .
Belgrade, 3 March 2005
Nebojsa Covic, President of the Southern Serbia Co-ordinating Body
Nagip Arifi, President of Bujanovac Municipality
Slobodan Draskovic, President of Medvedja Municipality
Riza Halimi, President of Presevo Municipality, and Party of Democratic Action
Jonuz Musliu, President of the Movement for Democratic Progress
Skender Destani, President of the Democratic Union of the Valley"