No conclusions on energy arrangement

A joint session of parliament's industry and privatization committees ended without any conclusions on Friday. The meeting saw a four-hour debate on the energy arrangement with Russia in the presence of Ministers of Economy Mladjan Dinkic and Energy Petar Skundric. No conclusions on energy arrangement Opposition LDP and ruling G17 Plus MPs had the same stand on the arrangement, requesting additional guarantees for the construction of the South Stream gas pipeline, while the SRS and DSS maintained their belief that the arrangement was in Serbia's interest and that these guarantees had already been given. Requests were heard in the debate that parliament should discuss the criteria and bottom threshold for the privatization of NIS before the conclusion of a contract on its sale, but no conclusions were made in the end. It was also requested that the Constitutional Court of Serbia speed up the procedure for the assessment of constitutionality and legality of Serbia's energy agreement with Russia. SPS MPs did not express their views individually. DSS MP Nenad Popovic said that the construction of a gas pipeline through Serbia was one of the important factors in Serbia's EU integration and that the gas pipeline was the "biggest energy endeavour in Europe, in which seven European states were included." LDP MP Ivan Andric requested that parliament discuss the criteria for the sale of NIS. He said that the party's stand was that Serbia needs the South Stream gas pipeline, but that insufficient guarantees that it would in fact be constructed were the problem. LDP MPs insisted on an answer to their question about "who had ordered the platform for negotiations to be changed". Also, they requested to be told when the acquisition price of NIS would be paid and in which way investments would be made. Responding to the LDP and G17 Plus questions, Skundric said that the payment had to be effected immediately after the conclusion of the agreement, "or there would be no agreement". Skundric also said that the Russian partner had accepted NIS's losses as of December 31, 2007, in the value of EUR 350mn. During the debate, LDP caucus chief Cedomir Jovanovic walked out of the session when he was not invited to the floor for the second time in a row.

No conclusions on energy arrangement

Opposition LDP and ruling G17 Plus MPs had the same stand on the arrangement, requesting additional guarantees for the construction of the South Stream gas pipeline, while the SRS and DSS maintained their belief that the arrangement was in Serbia's interest and that these guarantees had already been given.

Requests were heard in the debate that parliament should discuss the criteria and bottom threshold for the privatization of NIS before the conclusion of a contract on its sale, but no conclusions were made in the end.

It was also requested that the Constitutional Court of Serbia speed up the procedure for the assessment of constitutionality and legality of Serbia's energy agreement with Russia.

SPS MPs did not express their views individually.

DSS MP Nenad Popović said that the construction of a gas pipeline through Serbia was one of the important factors in Serbia's EU integration and that the gas pipeline was the "biggest energy endeavour in Europe, in which seven European states were included."

LDP MP Ivan Andrić requested that parliament discuss the criteria for the sale of NIS.

He said that the party's stand was that Serbia needs the South Stream gas pipeline, but that insufficient guarantees that it would in fact be constructed were the problem.

LDP MPs insisted on an answer to their question about "who had ordered the platform for negotiations to be changed".

Also, they requested to be told when the acquisition price of NIS would be paid and in which way investments would be made.

Responding to the LDP and G17 Plus questions, Škundrić said that the payment had to be effected immediately after the conclusion of the agreement, "or there would be no agreement".

Škundrić also said that the Russian partner had accepted NIS's losses as of December 31, 2007, in the value of EUR 350mn.

During the debate, LDP caucus chief Čedomir Jovanović walked out of the session when he was not invited to the floor for the second time in a row.