The ceremonial session held at the National Assembly House, opened the 16^th Annual General Assembly of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy held in Belgrade from 24 to 28 June 2009, and hosted by the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia.

The IAO President and member of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, Sergei Popov, addressed the delegation members, deputies and representatives of the orthodox church present, stating that the gathering provides the voice of orthodoxy and the voice of all Christians with the opportunity to be heard. Popov announced that the General Assembly shall discuss the response to the global economic crisis from a Christian viewpoint, as well as consider the status of the orthodox population of Kosovo-Metohija, stressing that the upcoming commemoration of the 620^th anniversary of the Battle of Kosovo, on 28 June, is the opportunity to show support and restate the orthodox position on Kosovo-Metohija.

The Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic addressed the guests as the host of the gathering, expressing her belief that the Assembly will provide the opportunity to share productive experiences and deepen the cooperation between the parliaments of member states. The Assembly Speaker stressed how tragic it is that some people feel only their own need for freedom, which can best be seen in Kosovo-Metohija where men have demeaned themselves by hating others, different from them. “We believe that orthodox optimism, as well as the perseverance, patience and constancy of the Serbian people and all the citizens of Serbia, can be a good chance to resolve the problem. That should prompt the international community to create new and better opportunities which, of course, always exist, even in Kosovo-Metohija. Our spirituality, as modern language would have it, cultivates tolerance, dialogue and compromise, much needed in both parliamentary practice and life”, Djukic-Dejanovic concluded.

In the continuation of the ceremonial session, Bishop Irinej of Backa read the greeting message of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and conveyed the blessings of the Serbian Patriarch Pavle and Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral. In his greeting message, the Patriarch of Moscow and all of Russia Kyril stressed that peace and stability in the world have been impaired due to the attitude towards Kosovo-Metohija whose suffering is becoming a serious threat for the whole mankind.

The messages of the President of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Boris Gryzlov and the President of the Hellenic Parliament Dimitrios Sioufas were also read at the inaugural ceremony. The participants of the gathering were also addressed by the Secretaries General of IAO Alexei Pavlidas and Interparliamentary Assembly Council of the Commonwealth of Independent States Michail Krotov who stressed that the gathering aims to clarify the position of orthodoxy towards issues of international importance.

The Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy was in session on 25 and 26 June 2009 at the Palace of Serbia. The main topic of this year’s 16^th General Assembly was “The Global Economic Crisis and its impact on Social – Spiritual – Cultural European tradition. The Role of Orthodoxy”. The Assembly also considered the challenges faced by the orthodox population of Kosovo-Metohija, and adopted a RESOLUTION on it.

FRAMEWORK COOPERATION AGREEMENT SIGNED BETWEEN THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA AND PORTUGUESE PARLIAMENT

Today in Belgrade, the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic and the Portuguese Parliament Speaker Jaime Gama signed the Framework Cooperation Agreement between the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia and Parliament of Portugal.

The Agreement is an improvement of the cooperation the National Assembly enjoys with the Portuguese Parliament on all parliamentary levels and at the same time is the first Agreement of this kind the National Assembly has signed with a parliament of a European Union member state. The Agreement with the Portuguese Parliament represents a model for future agreements that the National Assembly shall sign with European Union member states, the same as the previously signed Agreement with the Hungarian Parliament represents a model for agreements with bordering countries and countries of the region.

Before signing the Agreement, the National Assembly Speaker and Portuguese Parliament Speaker stated that the Cooperation Agreement between the two parliaments provides the opportunity to improve communication on all parliamentary levels, to help bring the two parliaments closer together through the cooperation of their working bodies and friendship groups and gives a good example of cooperation between Serbia and European Union members states.

Parliament Speaker Gama believes that the issue of visa liberalisation for Serbian citizens shall soon be resolved, and that conditions to abolish the Dutch veto on the implementation of the trade agreement between Serbia and the European Union shall soon be created.

Assembly Speaker Djukic-Dejanovic stated that a consensus has been reached between Serbian citizens and state authorities regarding the country’s accession to the European Union and briefed Parliament Speaker Gama on the National Assembly’s work on the adoption of the set of laws from the fields of agriculture and regional development, harmonisation of Serbian legislation with European Union legislation, as well as the unilateral implementation of the trade agreement with the EU.

The National Assembly Speaker and Portuguese Parliament Speaker also talked about Serbia’s process of accession to the European Union, use of EU accession funds, cooperation with The Hague Tribunal, as well as the effects of the global economic crisis.

The Portuguese Parliamentary delegation, headed by its Speaker Gama is in a two-day visit to the Republic of Serbia at the invitation of the National Assembly Speaker.

TWO-DAY PUBLIC DEBATE HELD - PART OF PREPARATIONS FOR DRAFTING NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ACT AND NEW RULES OF PROCEDURE

Public debate on topics significant for the drafting of the Bill on the National Assembly and the Proposal of the National Assembly Rules of Procedure was organised on 18 and 19 June 2009, at the National Assembly House.

The meeting was supported by the following international organisations: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Council of Europe (CE), US Agency for International Development (USAID) – Separation of Powers Program in Serbia (EWMI – SUNY) and National Democratic Institute (NDI).

At the beginning of the meeting the participants were addressed by the National Assembly Speaker, Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic. She stressed that the work on the Act is very important and truly reformatory and that the public debate organised on the occasion represents a step further in the development of legislative activity and parliamentary democracy.

“In order to be a democratic institution, the National Assembly must ensure adequate representation, be efficient and made answerable for its work, and the organization of this debate aims to give the experts, public and media an opportunity to state their views on the parliament and propose the direction the reforms should take”, the National Assembly Speaker said.

She stated that the debate should focus on the organisation of the assembly and competencies of the assembly bodies and suggested that the introduction of new working bodies, such as commissions, be considered. According to Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic, in its pursuit of parliamentary democracy, the Assembly should search for more efficient and better ways of cooperating with the public, work on establishing trust and integrity of the deputies, modernise the legislative process, control the executive government and enforce laws more efficiently, and properly perform its representative function.

The participants were welcomed by the National Assembly Secretary Veljko Odalovic who stressed that the debate is an introduction into the preparation of a high-quality legal act.

“We do not want you to get the impression that we are passing the act for the benefit of the services and deputies, but rather for the institution which deserves it. Today’s discussion aims to provide guidelines and instructions on how to reach a better legal solution”, Odalovic said adding that the debate should be “a guide to help us pass the act in autumn, and maybe sooner”.

Former Parliament Speakers Dragan Tomic and Slobodan Unkovic took part in the public debate, as well as deputies, representatives of political parties and non-government organizations, professors of the Belgrade Faculty of Political Sciences and Law Faculty, representatives of international organisations and media, as well as representatives of the parliaments of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovakia.

The first day was dedicated to a debate on the constitutional and legal status of the National Assembly, the role of the media in the development of parliamentary practice, importance of parliamentary control over executive government and financial and property aspects of the National Assembly’s autonomy.

In the morning part of the debate the participants pointed how important it is to pass an Act on the Assembly so as to strengthen the institution of the parliament and regain its dignity, and also discussed the significance of the media and non-government sector in the process.

Slavisa Orlovic, Docent of the Faculty of Political Sciences, stressed regaining the citizens’ trust in the parliament as a key issue, better cooperation between the parliament and independent regulatory bodies and open cooperation with civil society. He also pointed out the importance of the deputies’ autonomy, because, he explained, without it parliamentarism is pointless.

Dejan Milenkovic (FPS) pointed out the role of the media in realising parliamentary practice, stating that the openness of parliamentary work is not achieved merely through the media, but in other ways as well. He commended the informing via the assembly website and suggested that the gallery in the Great Hall be open to all citizens interested in following the parliament’s work live.

Sonja Liht, president of the Fund for Political Excellence endorsed the idea of introducing a parliamentary channel which should be regulated by the future Act on the Assembly deeming that it would contribute to educate the citizens on the parliament’s role in modern society.

The participants stressed the importance of the media, as well as the non-government sector in raising the parliament’s credibility, they stated that the communication between the citizens and parliament is lacking and that the assembly website should be interactive. They also pointed that assembly committees need to take a more active role in passing laws.

In the afternoon, the participants of the public debate considered the issues of the National Assembly’s competencies and functions in establishing parliamentary control over the executive government and the financial and property aspects of the National Assembly’s autonomy. In the discussion, the financial autonomy was estimated as very important as it is a pre-condition for the parliament’s independence and efficiency. The debate stressed that the Parliament shall be able to efficiently control the Government, reach its goals, be independent, stable and efficient only when it can autonomously dispose of its budget.

The second day of the public debate focused on the status, rights and obligations of the deputies. The majority of participants agreed that the future act should stipulate that deputies can freely dispose of their terms of office. Tanasije Marinkovic, professor of the Law Faculty, pointed out that a deputy needs to be protected, and guaranteed his/her dignity and independence as parliamentary democracy cannot exist without it. He specially focused on the issue of term of office and deputy immunity as the Act on the Assembly must grant the deputies free terms of office, adding that the act should ban the institution of blank resignations.

The last topic discussed by the participants of the public debate dealt with issues concerning the organization of the work of the National Assembly, its working bodies and the National Assembly Support Service. Vladan Petrov, professor of the Law Faculty and Mirjana Radakovic, Assistant Secretary of the National Assembly, talked on these issues.

At the end of the two-day debate, the National Assembly Speaker, Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic proclaimed the discussion useful and justified adding that it shall be helpful in setting the priorities to be included in the future Act on the Assembly, as well as defining the deputies’ status and competencies.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SPEAKER TALKS TO RUSSIAN CONSTITUTIONAL COURT CHAIRMAN

The Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic received today the Chairman of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation Valery Zorkin.

Constitutional Court Chairman Zorkin conveyed the greetings of the Russian Duma Speaker and the Russian Federation Council Chairman to Assembly Speaker Djukic-Dejanovic. He pointed out that the visit of the Russian Constitutional Court delegation to Serbia represents a renewal of bilateral relations between the two Constitutional Courts. Chairman Zorkin stressed that the Constitutional Courts in Serbia and the Russian Federation tackle common problems and tasks, the most important of which are the protection of human rights and freedoms and preservation of state integrity. Also, both countries’ young democracies are engaged in an ongoing reform process, so sharing experiences represents an important type of cooperation.

The National Assembly Speaker expressed her belief that the visit of the Russian Constitutional Court delegation will provide the foundation for the development of the relationship between Serbia and Russia on an institutional level. She stated that the National Assembly and the Russian Duma are about to sign an agreement on the cooperation of their working bodies, stressing that traditionally good relations between the two nations make it necessary to raise the institutionalised forms of cooperation on a higher level. She thanked the Russian Federation on its principled support of Serbia on the international level and under international law regarding the preservation of sovereignty and territorial integrity in Kosovo-Metohija. The Assembly Speaker also briefed Chairman Zorkin on the National Assembly’s legislative activity stressing that the adopted laws must be efficient, high-quality and adherent to the Constitution and European standards. She added that Serbia’s aspirations for European Union membership are not in conflict with its aspirations for stronger relations with the Russian Federation.

The National Assembly Speaker and Russian Constitutional Court Chairman also discussed the protection of human rights, effects of the global economic crisis, energy supply issues, globalization and meeting European standards while preserving one’s national identity.

The meeting between the National Assembly Speaker and Russian Constitutional Court President was attended by Anatoly Kononov and Gennadi Zilin, Russian federation Constitutional Court judges.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SPEAKER RECEIVES POLISH AMBASSADOR

Today at the National Assembly House, the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic received Maciej Szymanski, Polish Ambassador to Serbia, in a fare-well visit. The conversation focused around improving political relations between the two countries and establishing more intensive parliamentary cooperation.

The National Assembly Speaker pointed out the Serbian parliament’s intensive activity which resulted in the adoption of over 200 laws in nine months, and deemed that the Polish parliament’s experience could prove helpful for the National Assembly’s activities, particularly those on the harmonisation of domestic regulations with European legislation.

Ambassador Szymanski stressed that Poland is prepared to offer help so that Serbia may pass the road to European integration as fast as possible adding that its experience may prove invaluable for Serbia’s approach to the European Union.

The officials agreed that overall cooperation between the two countries should be improved in the upcoming period. They particularly emphasised the need to raise parliamentary cooperation between Serbia and Poland to a higher level, in which friendship groups and association of the two parliaments’ working bodies play a special role.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SPEAKER TALKS TO CYPRIOT DEFENCE MINISTER

The Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic received today, at the National Assembly House, the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Cyprus, Costas Papacostas.

The talks focused around the political relations between the Republic of Cyprus and the Republic of Serbia, as well as their future parliamentary cooperation.

Expressing full support of Serbia’s efforts to maintain its sovereignty and territorial integrity, Cypriot Defence Minister Papacostas stressed that Cyprus will always support the principled policy Serbia pursues on its road to European integration and the country’s protection of territorial integrity. Mentioning that he had spent twelve years as a deputy at the Cypriot Parliament, Papacostas emphasised the key role the parliament plays in democratic reform and social democratisation, stressing that the respect for this institution, where all political opinions meet, is of paramount importance.

National Assembly Speaker Djukic-Dejanovic thanked Defence Minister Papacostas for the principled position the Republic of Cyprus has taken regarding Serbia’s territorial integrity. She pointed out that the friendly and honest relations between the Serbian and Cypriot people should be cultivated and all types of cooperation between the two countries should be improved.

At the end of the meeting, the National Assembly Speaker and Cypriot Defence Minister agreed in their estimate that Serbia’s further and speedier integration into the European Union is the highest political priority.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SPEAKER TAKES PART IN PABSEC PROCEEDINGS

The Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic, took part in the proceedings of the 33^rd session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, held in Bucharest, 11 – 13 June 2009.

The National Assembly Speaker addressed the participants within the debate on “Strategies and policies aiming to diminish the consequences of the financial and economic crisis in BSEC member states”. In her speech, Djukic-Dejanovic stressed that the world economic crisis may compromise economic trends in both developing and developed countries, but that by sharing opinions on the issue and the active role of parliaments in times of crisis parliamentarians can contribute to overcome the current crisis. She also emphasized that parliaments in times of crisis must not forget the individual. Every parliament, according to Djukic-Dejanovic must dedicate additional efforts to uphold human rights, basic freedoms, and rights of ethnic minorities and endangered categories. Finally, the National Assembly Speaker called on all the countries to concentrate their policies towards more intensive international cooperation, joint economic projects, and harmonized and responsible social programmes aimed at overcoming the crisis more easily.

In the plenary session, the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia had a separate meeting with the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Romanian Parliament, Roberta Alma Anastase.

In the meeting, both Parliament Speakers expressed a wish to deepen the already good relations between the Parliaments of Serbia and Romania, particularly on the level of friendship groups and relevant Committees.

The Romanian side confirmed its full support of Serbia’s road to the European Union.

The Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia thanked the Romanian Parliament Speaker on Romania’s principled position regarding the unilateral declaration of Kosovo independence.

Assembly Speaker Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic invited the Romanian Parliament Speaker to visit Serbia next year, which was accepted with pleasure.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SPEAKER TALKS TO PETER SORENSEN

The Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic, talked today at the National Assembly House to Peter Sorensen, Chief of the European Union Office in Belgrade and EU High Representative Javier Solana’s personal envoy.

The National Assembly Speaker and special envoy Sorensen talked about the current results of the National Assembly’s work and plans for the upcoming period.

Assembly Speaker Djukic-Dejanovic stressed that the amendments to the Rules of Procedure have made the National Assembly’s legislative activity more intensive and efficient, resulting in the adoption of 180 laws and 80 other acts. The Assembly Speaker added that the National Assembly has fulfilled all the obligations within its purview regarding the visa liberalisation process and announced that the National Assembly Act will soon be passed, giving the National Assembly financial independence and enabling it to implement its control function to full capacity. She informed special envoy Sorensen about the National Assembly’s work plan in the extraordinary session period stressing the importance of passing the set of judiciary laws, the Vojvodina Statute and the law on the transfer of competences to AP Vojvodina and the sets of education, environmental protection and foreign affairs laws. The Assembly Speaker added that the National Assembly was deemed the “black hole” in the European integration process, but that the situation was overcome, and emphasised that the ministries must intensify their efforts on passing pro-European and systemic laws.

Assembly Speaker Djukic-Dejanovic and special envoy Sorensen also talked about the National Assembly’s public rating and efforts expended to have the results of the deputies’ work receive public recognition.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SPEAKER TALKS TO PACE POLITICAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE RAPPORTEUR

The Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic received today at the National Assembly House, Björn Von Sydow, rapporteur of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Political Affairs Committee, currently in a two-day visit to Belgrade.

The meeting focused around the current situation in the Autonomous Province of Kosovo-Metohija. The officials discussed the importance of respecting the human rights of its whole population, as well as resolving the status of the persons displaced from the southern Serbian province.

The National Assembly Speaker stressed that painting a truthful picture of the situation in the southern Serbian province before the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly is of paramount importance for Serbia. Considering that the decision of the United Nations General Assembly carried the issue of the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo over from the political sphere into the sphere of international law, the Assembly Speaker deemed that a neutral position on the issue is the only one possible until the International Court makes its decision.

DEPUTY GROUPS’ REPRESENTATIVES TALK TO PACE POLITICAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE RAPPORTEUR

Today, at the National Assembly House, representatives of the Deputy Groups at the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia received Björn Von Sydow, rapporteur of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Political Affairs Committee, currently in a two-day visit to Belgrade.

Deputy Groups’ Representatives, deputies Elvira Kovac, Ivan Andric, Milos Aligrudic and Nikola Lazic talked to rapporteur Von Sydow about realising and protecting human rights in Kosovo-Metohija, as well as the issue of displaced persons and their return to Kosovo-Metohija.

DPS Deputy Group Head Milos Aligrudic stressed that the majority of displaced persons wish to return to Kosovo-Metohija, but that insufficient safety and security, as well as unclear state policy towards Kosovo-Metohija remain the core problems. He also added that international institutions need to put some of the pressure onto the Albanian side which should ensure the citizens’ safety. LDP Deputy Group deputy Ivan Andric stressed that only the elderly return to Kosovo because the young feel insecure and a lack of perspective. He added that specific state programmes should provide these people with choice. Minorities’ Deputy Group deputy Elvira Kovac talked about achieving ethnic minority rights in Serbia, as well as the lack of laws to regulate the field, focusing on the presence of ethnic minority representatives in public administration.

Rapporteur Von Sydow talked to the deputies about Serbia’s readiness to support the return of displaced persons to Kosovo-Metohija, as well as to support those displaced persons who wish to remain where they currently reside and enable them to fully integrate into society.

COMMITTEE ON KOSOVO-METOHIJA MEMBERS TALK TO PACE POLITICAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE RAPPORTEUR

Today, at the National Assembly House, a delegation of the Committee on Kosovo-Metohija, headed by Committee Chairman Ljubomir Kragovic, talked to Björn Von Sydow, rapporteur on Kosovo-Metohija for the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Political Affairs Committee.

The PACE rapporteur said that the goal of his visit is to establish the facts concerning human rights and the rule of law in Kosovo-Metohija, of both those who live there and displaced persons.

The Committee members briefed Von Sydow on the difficult position of the Serbian and other non-Albanian population in Kosovo-Metohija whose freedom of movement and basic human rights are compromised. The Serbian Government accepted the deployment of EULEX forces because the six-point Agreement with the UN Secretary General guaranteed the protection of Serbian and other non-Albanian population and the mission’s neutrality.

It is the Committee members’ belief that neither UNMIK nor EULEX missions have justified their term, but are instead working on the realisation of M. Ahtisaari’s plan of Kosovo-Metohija independence. This is reflected in the facts that over 40 laws implementing the plan have been adopted by the Kosovo Assembly, as well as in some specific moves like introduction of customs duties on Serbian merchandise. They also pointed out that Kosovo-Metohija has become a territory ruled by corruption, crime, drug and weapons smuggling, trafficking in human beings, which is all controlled by government men.

The Committee members stressed that Serbia is trying to keep Kosovo-Metohija within its territory peacefully and employing legal means on the international level. They also concluded that the international community should get more involved in resolving the Kosovo-Metohija issue, but on established principles. They advocated the continuation of negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina until a compromise solution acceptable to both sides is reached.

However, it was also estimated that the Government and National Assembly are not doing enough to help the Serbian and other non-Albanian population in Kosovo-Metohija and ensure its safety and basic rights. Because of it, the local population is exposed to pressure from the international community representatives who have demonstrated that they are not neutral, but instead act in favour of the Albanian community.

WORKSHOP HELD ON ENERGY COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL SECURITY

Today at the National Assembly, in cooperation with the Regional Cooperation Council and support of the Energy Community Secretariat, the Industry Committee of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia held a workshop on “Energy Community and Regional Security”.

The workshop was organised in line with the conclusions of the Regional workshop on “Parliaments – Support to Harmonised Energy Reform in Southeastern Europe” held in Sarajevo, in December 2008, and is the first of many workshops to be held in the national parliaments for the benefit of the deputies, members of committees in charge of energy production issues, representatives of expert services from the Regional Cooperation Council Southeastern Europe member states and wider expert public.

The workshop participants were greeted by Milorad Buha, Chairman of the Industry Committee of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Miroslav Kukobat, head of the Regional Cooperation Council Energy and Infrastructure Unit and Slavtcho Neykov, director of the Energy Community Secretariat.

The workshop participants talked about providing energy security in the region, climatic change and national security, security of shipment of energy agents, market trends, as well as the Energy Security Act as the legal framework for achieving energy efficiency and security.

Following the discussion, the workshop participants concluded that the greatest challenges for the development of the regional energy sector lie in achieving an economic energy price, providing wide social support for the energy sector reform, promoting a regional approach to energy production, investing into the energy sector on a regional level, mutual assistance and solidarity of the countries in the region, as well as fully implementing the Energy Security Act. The workshop participants also agreed that national parliaments should secure political stability for the enforcement of laws and implementation of the abovementioned processes, as well as help promote regional cooperation.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SPEAKER TALKS TO PORTUGUESE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE DELEGATION

The Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic received today at the National Assembly Building a delegation of the Portuguese Public Prosecutor’s Office headed by Chief Prosecutor Fernando Monteiro.

Addressing the Chief Prosecutor, the National Assembly Speaker stated that the Assembly pays great attention to legislative activities in all areas, with a focus on the laws concerning Serbia’s accession to the European Union. Speaking of the National Assembly’s work, Assembly Speaker Djukic-Dejanovic emphasised the need to strengthen the Serbian Parliament’s monitoring and control role, in addition to legislative activity.

Public Prosecutor Monteiro reminded the participants that Portugal too had passed through a period of harmonisation between domestic and European Union legislation, stressing that legislative activity in a society is never a finite process.

Both sides stated that an efficient prosecution is in the interest of every country, particularly in the fight against corruption and organised crime.

CZECH REPUBLIC SENATE AND CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES DELEGATION VISITS NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

Members of the Environmental Protection Committee, Committee on Development and International Economic Relations, Committee on Transportation and Communications and the Agriculture Committee of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia met today at the National Assembly House with a delegation of the Czech Republic Senate and Chamber of Deputies headed by Jan Hajda, Chairman of the Committee on National Economy, Agriculture and Transportation at the Senate of the Czech Republic.

The members of the National Assembly Committees talked to the Czech senators and deputies about the experiences of the Czech Republic, as a European Union member, in the processes of adoption, implementation and monitoring of enforcement of laws from the fields of transportation, agriculture and environmental protection. The National Assembly delegation briefed its Czech colleagues on the recently adopted Road Traffic Safety Law and set or agricultural and environmental laws which systematically regulate the fields of transportation, agriculture and environmental protection and harmonise Serbian legislation with European standards.

The members of the delegation of the Czech Republic Senate and Chamber of Deputies expressed their support for Serbia on its way to European Union membership, stressing the importance of sharing experiences and the Czech support of infrastructural projects in Serbia.

In the talks, the delegations focused on the issues of educating the citizens about environmental protection, subsidising agricultural production, registering agricultural land and the effects of the world economic crisis on agricultural production.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SPEAKER TALKS TO UNICEF REGIONAL DIRECTOR

The Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic, received today at the National Assembly House, Steve Allen, newly appointed UNICEF Regional Director for Central and Eastern Europe and Commonwealth of Independent States.

The UNICEF Regional Director stressed that parliamentary processes, passing laws on children’s rights protection and monitoring their implementation, are of great importance for the improvement of children’s rights. He added that the National Assembly had made considerable progress in the filed, primarily by founding the Children’s Rights Working Group which operates within the recommendations given in the last UNICEF Report.

The National Assembly Speaker briefed Regional Director Allen on the cooperation between the National Assembly and UNICEF Office in Serbia up to date. She emphasised the importance of signing the Memorandum on Cooperation which gave a systemic framework for future activities and resulted in the foundation of the Children’s Rights Working Group at the National Assembly. The Assembly Speaker added that, under the National Assembly Act, a working body will be formed to deal with children’s rights issues. The Assembly Speaker also briefed the UNICEF Regional Director on the specific results achieved by the Working Group, stressing how important it is to further regional cooperation, as well as internationalise the children’s rights issue.

The meeting between the National Assembly Speaker and UNICEF Regional Director was attended by the UNICEF Director for Serbia Judita Reichenberg and Jadranka Milovanovic.

LDP DEPUTIES TALK TO CROATIAN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Liberal Democratic Party deputies Ivan Andric, Nenad Prokic and Zoran Ostojic talked today at the National Assembly House to Djurdja Adlesic, Croatian Deputy Prime Minister and head of the Croatian Social Liberal Party.

The head of the Croatian Social Liberal Party, Djurdja Adlesic was interested in the current political situation, the work and functioning of the local self-government, as well as the public administration reform.

The Liberal Democratic Party deputies stressed that they believe regional cooperation to be a priority goal, and that Croatia is an important factor of said cooperation in the future. In addition, the deputies endorsed the policy Croatia employs on its road to European integration.

The officials also exchanged opinions on possible modes of cooperation between the Liberal Democratic Party and Croatian Social Liberal Party.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SPEAKER RECEIVES UNDP RESIDENT COORDINATOR IN SERBIA

The Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic received today at the National Assembly House William Infante, newly appointed Resident Coordinator of the United Nations Development Programme in Serbia.

UNDP Resident Coordinator deemed the cooperation between UNDP and the National Assembly very productive so far, which presents a good foundation for future activities. He pointed out that all UN organizations in Serbia (UNDP, UNCEF, UNHCR) will continue to provide the National Assembly with expert support in the fields of human and children’s rights protection, strengthening its surveillance function over regulatory bodies, such as the Ombudsman and anti-monopoly commission, as well as over the executive government, particularly in the issue of implementing the adopted legal regulations.

The National Assembly Speaker briefed the UNDP Coordination on the results of the cooperation between this organization and the National Assembly so far, which had contributed to develop parliamentary democracy and diplomacy in Serbia. The Assembly Speaker stressed that the modifications to the Rules of Procedure have increased the National Assembly’s efficiency, adding that passing the Law on the National Assembly would enable the strengthening of its control function.

The dominant topics of the meeting between Assembly Speaker Djukic-Dejanovic and Coordinator Infante dealt with protecting the rights of the most vulnerable population categories, combating poverty, spe