Borba, 15. 01. 2005., str. 25

WITH TRADITION !”' www.borba.co.yu -

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BELGRADE – SERBIAN PRIME MINISTER VOJISLAV KOSTUNICA SAID ON JANUARY 1OTH THAT THE SETTING UP OF THE PFUND FOR KOSOVO AND METOHIJA IMPLIES ASISTANCE, SUPPORT AND SOLIDARITY ACCORDING TO THE ABILITIES OF ALL THOSE WHO CAN DO Ir BOTH IN THE COUNTRY AND ABROAD, INCLUDING THE DIASPORA, BUSINESSMEN AND ALL PUBLIC FIGURES WHO CARRY KOSOVO AND METOHIJA IN THEIR HEARTS.

ostunica said at thc

charity reception for

Kosovo that this is a very important step towards bringing together all those who can and wish to help the growth of the very important Fund for KOSOvoMetohija, because, in view of the gravc situation Serbs in Kosovo are in, the budget

funds are not enough.

On thc othcr side, thc Fund should provide for something that should be natural at the beginning of thc 21st century and that is for every individual to have thc right to freedom of movcment, to live in thcir own home, and to provide for the return of expelled, Kostunica said.

Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica presented a personal contribution in thc amount of his onc-monthly allowances to the Relief Fund for Kosovo-Metohija Scrbs. President of Serbia Boris Tadic has also announced his personal contribution.

According to Kostunica, thc first report issucd after the reception shows that considerable amounts of money is being paid on the Fund's account.

Presevo demands withdrawal of Army

Following the border incident involving 16 years old boy

PRESEVO) - The Presevo Municipal Assembly denyanded on January the 1Oth that Serbia-Montenegro (SCG) Army and the gendarmeric withdraw fron sout-

aSiBEa ije SEV (Oi PANK OR E aruk au fen

"These and other recjucsts werc read at a protcst rally of ethnic Albanians in PrescVO Center. SROP:O1 Ć

5,000 people gathered in the centrc of Presevo on Ja-

Advocating diplomatic activities

The Assembly also requested the undertaking of diplomatic activities in order to prevent possible conflicts in the region and the holding of a trial of the person who shot Hajrulahu at the Presevo municipal court.

hern Serbia and be replaced by international forces.

At a special session cOnvcned following thc killing of ethnic Albanian youth Gasim Hajrulahu on January 7 while he was attempting, to illegally cross the Serbia-Macedonia border, the Assembly also requested the Oopcning of new border crossing, towards Kosovo-Metohija and Macedonia.

nuary 10Oth at noon, to protest over thc death of Dasnim Hajrulahu.

SCG Minister for Human and Minority Hights Hasini Ljajic said that the statc institutions would do cvcrything to prevent incrcasc of political and ethnic tension in Serbia's south. .

„It is only natural for us to do everything following, the tragic loss of a young, hu-

man life to stabilize thc situation in thc south of Serbia, to prevent an incrcasc of tension, and to show the state”'s rcadiness to bc prcsent in both political and economic sensc in that part of Serbia,“ said Ljajic.

"This mcans a continuation of activities started threc ycars ago, such as economic investment, and investment in infrastructure, as well as a reorganization of thc Coordinating: Body by including, representatives of the AlbPanian community, primarily mayors of Prescvo and Medvedja, in its activites, said Ljajic.

„A political abuse of this tragedy has to be prevented. As wec can see, there are attempts to do that. This may be obtained only through a continuous dialogue with representatives of the Albanian community and all structures that are active in thc region, including reprcsentatives of international

organizations,“ said Ljajic.

Refugees registration

BELGRADE - The deadline for thc registration of refugees in Serbia has been extcnded from January 13 to January 25, spokesman of the Office of the Commissioncr for Refugees Aleksandar Damjanovic told Tan-

jug.

Atotal of 118,000 refugees have been rcgistered in Serbia, exccpt Kosovo-Metohija,

since November 27, 2004, when registration started, hc said.

Given thc grcat interest shown by refugees, Commissioner for Refugees Dragisa Dabetic decided to cextend the deadline to

enable persons who were unable to rcgister

over the holiday period to do so until January 25, Damjanovic said.

Serbs still without electricity

Danger of humanitarian disaster in KOsOvO

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA- OvER 120 SERBIAN HOUSEHOLDS FROM LIPIJAN AND SO FROM BATUS HAVE BEEN WITHOUT ELECTRICITY FOR WEEKS AND WILL NOT GET IT IN THE COMING DAYS ETTHER, SERB REPRESENTATI-

VES WERE TOLD WHEN THEY,

MET ON JANUARY IOTH IN PRISTINA WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE KOSOVO ELECTRIC POWER CORPORATION.

Lipljan municipality viccpresident Borivoje Vignjevic has told Tanjug, that the director of the Corporation for the Sale of Electric Power Francois Pinar insisted at the meeting on thc signing of an agreement binding all signatories to pay monthly 27 curos for their clectricity.

Pinar explained this by the claim that ethnic Albanians would not sign thc agrccement as long as Serbs do not do it, Vignjevic said, and called it a classical form of brutal pressure,

At the meeting wc Wecrc told that thc outstanding debt and thc current consumption of electric powcr could not be resolved at the same time and that electricity would not be turned on to Serbs as long as agrecments arc not signed and money found that is needed for repairing possible, malfunctioning in the powcr

nctwork, Vignjevic said.

"hc situation in Batus, Kosovo Polje municipality, and Lipljan, where there has been no clectricity for once month now, is alarming.

Serbia's president Pceoples Office Director Dragan Djilas sent an appeal on January Oth to the international community, the KOsovo electric power company and UNMIK not to allow : humanitarian disaster in the village of Batuse, which has been without electric

power or water for 20 days

nOW.

„lt is shamcful that for thc Christmas holidays the villagers of Batusc do not bavc electric power, or water, whilc at the same time we werc abic to determince that there was no mechanical breakdown at the power transmission station and that the neighbouring ethnic Albanian village had clectricity,* Djilas said during talk with the inhabitants of Batusc village.

SERBIA-MONTENEGRO PAYS TRIBUTE TO TSUNAMI VICTIMS

Belgrade - Serbia and Montenegro authorities and media observed three minutes of silence on January 9th to honor victims of tsunami disaster in Southeast Asia.

The SCG national news agency Tanjug and some media stopped broadcasting news at noon for three minutes.

The Council of Ministers sent their message of condolences to heads of states and peoples of the countries whose citizens lost their lives in the tsunami disaster.

Humanitarian aid was also sent to the area.