Government of Serbia

Ombudsman has full EU support - commissioner

BELGRADE -- EU Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn has met with Serbian Ombudsman Sasa Jankovic.

Hahn also met with representatives on NGOs in Belgrade on Thursday.

On his second visit to Belgrade since taking over as EU Enlargement Commissioner last autumn, Hahn is meeting President Tomislav Nikolic and Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic among other officials.

Ahead of his visit, Hahn said Serbia and the EU should start accession talks soon, and he was there to help Belgrade finish the reforms it had started.

Prime minister addresses treatment of ombudsman

BELGRADE -- "There is no pressure on Ombudsman Sasa Jankovic," Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic told a news conference in Belgrade late on Wednesday.

According to Vucic, Ombudsman is with his own behavior "saying a lot more about himself than about those whom he criticizes on a daily basis."

FM: Opening of some chapter expected this year

LUXEMBOURG -- Serbia expects to open some chapter by the end of the year, as part of the efforts to achieve its main objective - EU membership, said Ivica Dacic,

The Serbian foreign minister made the comments while visiting Luxembourg on Wednesday.

Dacic, military orchestra, to take part in Kiev events

BELGRADE -- The Military Orchestra Nis will perform at the Parade of Military Orchestras due to take place in Kiev, Ukraine on May 9.

The parade will be held as part of events marking Victory Day, the Serbian Defense Ministry said.

Dacic condemns ceasefire violations

BELGRADE -- OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Serbia's Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic condemned on Sunday the ceasefire violations in eastern Ukraine over the past few days.

He "voiced serious concern over the use of proscribed heavy weapons as well as the increased fighting in and around Donetsk and Shyrokyne," the OSCE office in Belgrade said.

BELGRADE - Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic and Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Serbia Juma Rashed Saif Zayed Al Dhaheri discussed cooperation between the two countries on Thursday.

BELGRADE - OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic met on Thursday with Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Laurent Louis Stokvis and discussed current topics relating to Serbian OSCE Chairmanship.

Aleksandar Vucic, Serbian Prime Minister, on Thursday said Serbia's austerity measure are bringing sufficiently good results for pensions and salaries in the public sector - reduced by 10 per cent in November - to rise this October.

"In August, we will start talks with the IMF about salaries and pensions increases, and we will increase them," Vucic said on Thursday.

DRVAR - The recent terrorist attack in Zvornik is an attack on the stability of the entire region because it is a system of communicating vessels, Serbian First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said on Wednesday.