Foreign Ministry

Greece is expecting a Turkish vessel to conduct research over the Greek continental shelf without permission on Tuesday, government sources have told Kathimerini.

FM thanks all countries and EU for assistance

BELGRADE -- Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić on Saturday expressed his gratitude "to all the countries and the EU" for the help they provided to the flood-stricken Serbia.

Dačić said that the country was in need of equipment and personnel specialized for rescue operations, the Foreign Ministry said.

BELGRADE – After taking office as Serbia’s first deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs, Ivica Dacic hosted a reception for the diplomatic corps in Belgrade Friday, during which he said that Serbia will never recognize the independence of Kosovo unilaterally proclaimed by ethnic Albanians and that all open issues will be resolved through the EU-facilitated dialogue.

BELGRADE - Slovakia's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak will pay an official visit to Serbia on Friday and Saturday.

Lajcak will meet with Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic on Friday, the presidential press office said in a statement.

BELGRADE / ATHENS – An EU-Western Balkans ministerial conference is taking place in Thessaloniki on Thurdsay, and Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic is attending.

The Bulgarian cultural center in Odessa has not been the target of a deliberate attack, according to a media statement of the Foreign Ministry.

The statement comes in response to media publications informing of damages to the All-Ukrainian Center for Bulgarian Culture in Odessa.

Ukrainian officials detained a Russian military attache, which authorities suspect of spying.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kiev, though not initially disclosing the man's identity, said he was ordered to leave the country and was about to do this "in a short time".

Ex-defense minister expects to become ambassador to U.S.

BELGRADE -- Former Defense Minister Nebojša Rodić said on Wednesday he expected to be appointed as Serbia's new ambassador to the United States.

BELGRADE - Serbia's former defence minister Nebojsa Rodic said on Wednesday he expected to be appointed as the new ambassador to the US.

Commenting on his plans for the future after turning over his duties to the new Defence Minister Bratislav Gasic, he stated he had acquired the title of ambassador 15 years ago nad that he would be returning to the Foreign Ministry.

Putting together team for talks with EU "top priority"

BELGRADE -- The Serbian government will make an effort to open Chapters 23 and 24 in accession negotiations with the EU by the end of the year, says Jadranka Joksimović.