European ministers discuss environment in Belgrade

A two-day ministerial conference named “Environment for Europe” opened in Belgrade today. Prior to the event, which is taking place in Belgrade’s Sava Center, ministers attending the conference went for a symbolic bicycle ride outside the Sava Center building, with Environment Minister Sasa Dragin, Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic and Agriculture Minister Slobodan Milosavljevic leading the way. European ministers discuss environment in Belgrade President Boris Tadic opened the event saying that the conference was one of the most important events held in Serbia since the changes of October 5, 2000. He added that environmental issues should be assigned top priority, as "respect for nature meant respect for oneself." The conference, sponsored by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), gathers environment ministers from 56 states and representatives of numerous international and non-governmental organizations. They are supposed to address measures so far undertaken to combat pollution, and to discuss potential future steps in the same field. Dragin said the conference was an opportunity for Serbia to reclaim the leading position in the sphere of the environment and ecology it once had, but lost in the 1990s. “This event is of the utmost importance for our scientific community as the conference looks to produce a document approving the establishment of a regional center for climate monitoring,” he said. “Meanwhile, Serbia, through contacts with ministers from other countries, would be able to launch cooperation with a view to planning projects and seeking grants from the EU and other funds,” he stressed. Parliament recently ratified the Kyoto Protocol, and the debate on ratifying a set of five international environmental conventions concluded yesterday. Government representatives officially launched the initiative for the creation of the virtual center for monitoring climate change in south-eastern Europe and Serbia. “Governments in the region have to be able to react promptly to any drastic changes in the climate that threaten to affect the region,” the government said in a statement. International environmental organizations have detected in their reports high temperatures and evaporation rates in Serbia that continue to rise. According to these surveys, in years to come, there could be fewer days under snow in Serbia, a thinning of the snow coat in mountain areas during the winter months, and less rainfall during spring and summer. Ministers go for a symbolic bicycle ride (FoNet)

European ministers discuss environment in Belgrade

President Boris Tadić opened the event saying that the conference was one of the most important events held in Serbia since the changes of October 5, 2000.

He added that environmental issues should be assigned top priority, as "respect for nature meant respect for oneself."

The conference, sponsored by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), gathers environment ministers from 56 states and representatives of numerous international and non-governmental organizations.

They are supposed to address measures so far undertaken to combat pollution, and to discuss potential future steps in the same field.

Dragin said the conference was an opportunity for Serbia to reclaim the leading position in the sphere of the environment and ecology it once had, but lost in the 1990s.

“This event is of the utmost importance for our scientific community as the conference looks to produce a document approving the establishment of a regional center for climate monitoring,” he said.

“Meanwhile, Serbia, through contacts with ministers from other countries, would be able to launch cooperation with a view to planning projects and seeking grants from the EU and other funds,” he stressed.

Parliament recently ratified the Kyoto Protocol, and the debate on ratifying a set of five international environmental conventions concluded yesterday.

Government representatives officially launched the initiative for the creation of the virtual center for monitoring climate change in south-eastern Europe and Serbia.

“Governments in the region have to be able to react promptly to any drastic changes in the climate that threaten to affect the region,” the government said in a statement.

International environmental organizations have detected in their reports high temperatures and evaporation rates in Serbia that continue to rise.

According to these surveys, in years to come, there could be fewer days under snow in Serbia, a thinning of the snow coat in mountain areas during the winter months, and less rainfall during spring and summer.