Govt. to consider energy deal fourth time

The Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) has announced that the government will discuss ratification of the energy agreement with Russia. President Boris Tadic has confirmed the news. Govt. to consider energy deal fourth time DSS spokesman Andreja Mladenovic announced that Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica would put the draft law for ratification of the energy deal on the table for the fourth time. Tadic said that DS ministers might support the agreement's ratification. Speaking to B92, the president said that a dissolved parliament did not have the power to adopt laws, not even the Law on Confirmation of the Energy Agreement. However, he announced the possibility of the government passing the agreement on to parliament for ratification this week, as the new parliament would be able to ratify it after Sunday’s elections. Mladenovic told a press conference that the DSS-New Serbia (NS) coalition expected the agreement to be accepted on this occasion. The DSS spokesman stressed that Russian President Vladimir Putin had also pointed to the need to adopt the agreement in a letter of support to Kostunica. The importance of the agreement was also underlined by the DSS economic team’s coordinator Nenad Popovic who stressed that it was “the best economic contract that Serbia had signed in the last 30 or 40 years.” According to Popovic, the agreement would bring investment worth USD 2bn and create 50 to 100,000 new jobs, thus giving Serbia the highest rating in the region.

Govt. to consider energy deal fourth time

DSS spokesman Andreja Mladenović announced that Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica would put the draft law for ratification of the energy deal on the table for the fourth time. Tadić said that DS ministers might support the agreement's ratification.

Speaking to B92, the president said that a dissolved parliament did not have the power to adopt laws, not even the Law on Confirmation of the Energy Agreement.

However, he announced the possibility of the government passing the agreement on to parliament for ratification this week, as the new parliament would be able to ratify it after Sunday’s elections.

Mladenović told a press conference that the DSS-New Serbia (NS) coalition expected the agreement to be accepted on this occasion.

The DSS spokesman stressed that Russian President Vladimir Putin had also pointed to the need to adopt the agreement in a letter of support to Koštunica.

The importance of the agreement was also underlined by the DSS economic team’s coordinator Nenad Popović who stressed that it was “the best economic contract that Serbia had signed in the last 30 or 40 years.”

According to Popović, the agreement would bring investment worth USD 2bn and create 50 to 100,000 new jobs, thus giving Serbia the highest rating in the region.