Kosovo

Government "will not allow Trepca to be taken"

BELGRADE -- The government "will not accept" a unilateral decision of Pristina to take over the ownership of the Mining, Metallurgical and Chemical Combine Trepca.

BELGRADE - The Serbian government will not accept the unilateral decision of the Kosovo government to take over the ownership of the Mining, Metallurgical and Chemical Combine Trepca, because the Republic of Serbia Development Fund owns a majority stake in the mines, Director of the Serbian government's Office for Kosovo-Metohija (KiM) Marko Djuric said Sunday.

GRACANICA - The Serb-majority town of Gracanica, near Pristina in central Kosovo-Metohija, is holding early mayoral elections Saturday.

A total of 22,229 eligible voters are given to choose between four candidates at 27 polling places.

BELGRADE - Serbian Defence Minister Bratislav Gasic on Friday received a farewell call from the head of the United Nations Office in Belgrade, Peter Due, noting that Serbia's cooperation with the UN has great significance for the continuation of reforms in his ministry.

ZVECAN - If adopted in the Kosovo assembly, the bill amending the law on public enterprises could destabilise the situation in northern Kosovo and put the implementation of the Brussels Agreement in jeopardy, Jovan Dimkic, general manager of the Mining, Metallurgical and Chemical Combine Trepca, warned on Friday.

Mine takeover "could trigger unrest in north Kosovo"

ZVECAN -- If adopted in the Kosovo assembly, a bill amending the law on public enterprises could destabilize the situation in northern Kosovo, says Jovan Dimkic.

Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General, on Friday welcomed conclusion of an agreement with Serbia on January 15 on enchanced military cooperation.

"I welcome the Individual Partnership Action Plan agreed between NATO and the Republic of Serbia," he said.

"This important step will allow us to further strengthen dialogue, understanding and cooperation between us," he added.

BELGRADE - The Telekom Srbija property in Kosovo is a very complex subject, so it was decided at the first meeting on the issue in Brussels that it should constitute a separate part of the negotiations.

Croatian president "hopes to see Nikolic in Zagreb"

ZAGREB -- Croatia's new president has said she wishes that Serbia "takes the road toward EU membership," and also "hopes to see the Serbian president in Zagreb."

During an exclusive interview for the BHT1 broadcaster, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic also opined that Serbia "should take the step and recognize Kosovo."

BRUSSELS - Croatia's newly elected president Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic has said that she will invite Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic to her inauguration in Zagreb.

"It will be a good opportunity to settle some issues between our two countries," Grabar-Kitarovic told reporters in Brussels after filing her resignation to her position at NATO's headquarters on Thursday.