Foreign minister "to lead delegation to Brussels"

Foreign minister "to lead delegation to Brussels"

He thanked all ambassadors who visited the town of Obrenovac with him yesterday.

"I deliberately organized the tour, I wished that they learned for themselves about the situation near Belgrade, even though the image was much softer and lighter than a few days ago. The ambassadors were able to see for themselves the scale of the disaster, regardless of the fact the water had receded. It was useful, because they will transfer to their governments their full impressions. All have promised to help, this is what awaits us now," said Dačić.

He added that besides the announced assistance from various countries and EU funds, which Serbia as a candidate country has access to, there would be "other assistance resources."

"I already had a conversation with a colleague from Turkey about funding from their development fund, the UAE is helping, Azerbaijan gave EUR 400,000 for humanitarian purposes, and all these are the first tranches. After that we've got to approach this second part, the funds," said Dačić.

Asked whether the government can promise to help people who have lost their property and are now homeless, Dačić said:

"What gives us hope is that for the first time we can use the funds that previously were not available. It's up to us to organize a distribution of resources that is fair and that there is no abuse, and that applies to humanitarian assistance as well."

The minister noted that "there have always been profiteers" and that regulations are "inconclusive" - but that it was "up to the state to now make them more simple with ad hoc solutions."

"We now have daily problems. Our people do not like the system, even when it comes to humanitarian aid. They help organize the aid, and when they come to the border the customs want to charge them. They (the customs) wanted to charge Russians for the aid. A woman from Macedonia is on the border now with EUR 120,000 worth of aid. Daily there are such problems," said Dačić.

This former interior minister noted that the disaster proved once again that a strong Department for Emergency Situations should be built, and recalled that he was a proponent of a law that united the sector, which used to operate under several ministries.

"Without a strong army and police, there would be more casualties. Work needs to be done to modernize and strengthening the sector. However, more people are needed, some are neglected, and it is worth mentioning that they are risking their lives," said Dačić.