Latest News from Serbia

Delegation of Belgrade, Yokohama discuss cooperation

BELGRADE - The delegations of the City of Belgrade and the Japanese City of Yokohama discussed mutual cooperation on Wednesday, especially in the areas of infrastructure, culture and tourism.

Survey: Serbians "prefer" sedatives to narcotics

BELGRADE -- 8 percent of Serbian aged 18-64 have used narcotics at least once in their life, while 22.4 percent used hypnotic and sedative medications in the past year.

This was revealed in the latest national lifestyle survey conducted by the Dr. Milan Jovanović Batut Institute for Public Health.

Minister Tasovac in Macedonia

BELGRADE - Serbian Minister of Culture and Information Ivan Tasovac will meet Macedonia's Minister of Culture Elizabeta Kanceska-Milevska on his first official visit to this country on Thursday.

Constitutional Court holds public debate on Brussels deal

BELGRADE -- Nikola Selaković says the Constitutional Court should declare itself incompetent to rule whether the Brussels agreement is in line with the Constitution.

Eight percent of Serbia's population have used drugs

BELGRADE - Eight percent of Serbia's population aged between 18 and 64 have used drugs at least once in their lifetimes, while 22.4 percent used sedatives and hypnotic drugs in the past year, shows the latest national lifestyle survey conducted by the Dr Milan Jovanovic Batut Institute of Public Health.

EBRD: EUR 500 million for region's flood recovery

LONDON - In a move designed to boost long-term lending to local businesses and private borrowers in the Western Balkans and Croatia, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is extending up to EUR 500 million for on-lending to partner banks.

EC president to visit Serbia on Sunday

BRUSSELS -- European Commission (EC) President Jose Manuel Barroso will visit Serbia on Sunday, the EC said on Wednesday.

Barroso will meet with senior officials in the Serbian government, a statement said.

EC President Barroso to visit Serbia on Sunday

BRUSSELS - European Commission (EC) President Jose Manuel Barroso will visit Serbia on Sunday, The EC said in a release Wednesday.

Barroso will meet with senior officials in the Serbian government, the EC said.

Serbian government adopts amendments to BIA law

BELGRADE - The Serbian government adopted on Wednesday a set of amendments to the law on the Security Information Agency (BIA), the government office for media relations has stated.

The amendments refer to a number of provisions within the law that the Constitutional Court deemed were not in line with the Constitution.

SRS: Denying Seselj's wish would be direct attack on him

BELGRADE - The Serbian Radical Party (SRS) stated on Wednesday that SRS leader Vojislav Sesslj has already stated the conditions under which he would accept possible provisional release, and if the Serbian government denied his wishes that would constitute a direct attack on him.

OSCE chairmanship "great responsibility"

BELGRADE -- "It is a great responsibility to chair the OSCE," Norwegian Foreign Minister Borge Brende told the Belgrade daily Politika.

Brende, who was visiting Serbia this week, added that he was sure that the country was "preparing well for the role it is to take on in 2015."

OSCE chairmanship is great responsibility for us

BELGRADE - It is a great responsibility to chair the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Borge Brende said in an interview for the Wednesday edition of the Belgrade-based daily Politika, adding that he is sure that Serbia is preparing well for the role it is to take on in 2015.