Serbia

Serbia’s goal is to get a date for the beginning of the EU accession talks by the end of 2012 because it is its national interest, says PM Ivica Dačić.“(European Parliament Rapporteur for Serbia Jelko) Kacin’s statement that Serbia will not get a date for the beginning of the EU …

The Hague Tribunal, ICTY, is expected to deliver its final verdict in the retrial of the former KLA commander, Ramush Haradinaj, in November.The Hague Tribunal charged Haradinaj, who briefly served as prime minister of Kosovo, and his two KLA comrades, Lahi Brahimaj and Idriz Balaj, in 2005 with participating in …

Serbia’s Foreign Minister will participate as an observer in the upcoming Non-Aligned summit in September in Teheran, officials said.Serbia’s delegation will be led by the Foreign Minister, Ivan Mrkic, but it is still uncertain whether President Tomislav Nikolic will join the delegation.

If it meets all the EU criteria, Serbia may be able to get a date for membership negotiations by July 2013, a senior EU official tells Balkan Insight.The European Commission’s latest opinion of Serbia’s progress will not be as positive as the one in 2011 – so Serbia is unlikely …

Serbia’s new defence minister, Aleksandar Vucic, has headed to Russia for his first official visit, confirming the new government’s desire to firm up ties to the Kremlin.Aleksandar Vucic, Defence Minister and head of Serbia’s National Security Council, will meet on Wednesday with Russia’s Vice President in charge of defence, Dmirty …

Serbia should take part in all regional meetings, whether or not Kosovo representatives are present, the director of Serbia’s EU Integration Office, Milan Pajevic, said.The director of the Serbian government’s EU Integration Office said that accepting the presence of Kosovo representatives at international meetings did not imply recognition of Kosovo’s …

For the first time, the University of Belgrade has found its place on the list of the 500 best universities in the world.After years of trying to enter the so-called Shanghai list, the University of Belgrade has finally won its place there – one of only two in the region. …

Agency blamed deteriorating finances and recent measures strengthening parliament’s control over the central bank.The US agency Fitch Ratings has downgraded Serbia’s outlook from stable to negative, citing the weakening fiscal position and low economic growth. “The negative outlook reflects the deterioration in the country’s fiscal and external financing position and …

As a part of the plan to fight the economic crisis, the new government plans to change the tax policy, increasing taxes on the rich and raising VAT.Serbia’s Minister for Trade, Rasim Ljajic, said the biggest problem facing the new government is not Kosovo or EU integration but the difficult …

Serbian PM Ivica Dačić has said that it is uncertain when the Belgrade-Priština dialogue will continue. He added that he would discuss the issue with EU officials in Brussels on September 4.