Serbia

State of emergency lifted, 33 victims so far

BELGRADE -- The Serbian government on Friday decided to lift the country-wide state of emergency introduced on May 15.

The proposal came from the emergency HQ set up to deal with the flood crisis, and was announced earlier in the day by Interior Minister Nebojša Stefanović.

BELGRADE - Chief of the Emergency Situations Sector Predrag Maric has said on Friday, referring to the severe flash floods that hit Serbia, that the situation is stable.

Asked whether problems arose at some places along the Sava River during the night, Maric said that was not the case, underlining that the situation is stable, but without a sudden drop in water levels.

A clean-up of the flood-stricken town of Obrenovac started on Thursday, although local residents have been told not to return to their homes just yet.

The police on Wednesday night called on owners and renters in certain streets in Obrenovac to report the extent of the flood damage and clean up their stores.

BELGRADE - The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is interested in taking part in a privatisation of Telekom Srbija, the Belgrade airport and the Dunav osiguranje insurance company, EBRD Director for Serbia Matteo Patrone has said.

EBRD activities will depend on the Serbian government's decision on the future of these public companies, he said.

BELGRADE - Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic will meet on Friday with President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Suma Chakrabarti, who is on a visit to Serbia, the Serbian president's press office released in a statement.

Flooded areas slowly normalize, 4 more days on standby

BELGRADE -- The night has passed peacefully in the flooded areas of Serbia, while the overall situation is stable without any critical locations identified.

Authorities and citizens will be on standby for four more days due to an announced surge wave on the Danube.

BELGRADE - A final assessment of damages from floods could take several months to complete and we will therefore not wait any longer before approving aid for Serbia, President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Suma Chakrabarti said in Belgrade Thursday.

LAZAREVAC - The railway wagons loaded with coal have resumed transport from the Kolubara mining basin to the Nikola Tesla thermal power plant (TENT) in Obrenovac on Thursday, after a week long interruption due to heavy floods.

BELGRADE – Belgrade’s Emergency Headquarters has made a decision that all centers for the reception of citizens evacuated from flood-hit areas are to be handled by the Red Cross starting from Thursday, as the situation in the flooded regions of the city is gradually getting back to normal.

SREMSKA MITROVICA - The situation along the swollen rivers and watercourses in the municipalities of Sremska Mitrovica and Sid, northwestern Serbia, is good, but the danger of floods is not over yet, head of the Vojvodina crisis headquarters Goran Jesic said on Thursday.