Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija

BELGRADE/BEIRUT - Marko Blagojevic, Serbian Foreign Ministry (FM) secretary general, and Vladimir Maric, head of the Foreign minister's cabinet, met in Beirut Wednesday with Lebanese Foreign Ministry Secretary General Wafic Rehaime, who said that Lebanon has no plans to recognize Kosovo independence.

LEPOSAVIC - Around 200 workers of the Lola forging factory in Lesak, Kosovo-Metohija, gathered in protest on Wednesday near the Jarinje crossing in the north of the province after their company's bank account has been blocked.

The workers want the bank account to be unblocked.

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA - A craft fair displaying works by disabled people entitled “Creativity paves way to jobs” was held at the Faculty of Technical Sciences in Kosovska Mitrovica on Wednesday.

The fair is organized by the National Employment Service (NSZ) and Kosovska Mitrovica-based Narodna tehnika.

BELGRADE - The arrest of Kosovo Serb political leader Oliver Ivanovic - whom the Serbian government wants to be released pending trial - will be one of the topics of Wednesday's round of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, the head of the government press office, Milivoje Mihajlovic, has said.

BRUSSELS - Maja Kocijancic, spokeswoman for the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, called on Belgrade and Pristina on Tuesday to find effective ways to resolve the fate of missing persons from Kosovo-Metohija (KiM).

BELGRADE - Certain progress has been made in calming the situation in Kosovo-Metohija, Milivoje Mihajlovic, the head of the Serbian government's press office said on Tuesday, adding that he expects Oliver Ivanovic and Dragoljub Delibasic to be released pending trial.

BELGRADE - The New Democratic Party (NDS) set up initiative committees in all Serb-populated areas in Kosovo-Metohija which will consistently support protection of interests of the Serb community in the area and creation of conditions for establishment of inter-ethnic trust, reconciliation and co-existence of Serbs and Albanians.

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA - An exhibition titled 'Details of the iconography at the Church of Our Lady of Ljevis' has opened at the town museum in Kosovska Mitrovica, in cooperation with the Belgrade-based National Museum, as part of the events marking the Statehood Day of Serbia.

NEW YORK - In the meeting on Kosovo held at UN Headquarters in New York late on Monday, Serbia's outgoing Prime Minister Ivica Dacic said that any debate referring to potential change in the scope and mandate of EULEX should not bypass the UN Security Council, having in mind that UN serves as an umbrella organization for the international presence in KiM.

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA - The presidents of the municipal councils in all four municipalities in north Kosovo, mostly populated by Serbs, were elected on Monday.