Govt. adopts both deals, DSS walks out

The government has today voted to pass both the Russian energy deal and the SAA on to parliament for ratification. B92 understands that the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) was adopted at the cabinet meeting, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic, after Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) ministers left the chamber. Govt. adopts both deals, DSS walks out As a result, the proposal to submit the SAA for ratification was passed unanimously. Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica did however attend the vote on the Russian energy deal. After a motion was adopted to consider the SAA first, Kostunica and his fellow DSS ministers left the chamber, returning later to consider the energy agreement. Cabinet meetings are usually held on Thursdays, but at President Boris Tadic's request, the prime minister moved the meeting to today to coincide with election silence, to prevent either of the agreements being misused for political gain. The Russian energy agreement had appeared on the government's agenda on two previous occasions, but had failed to receive majority backing. DSS-New Serbia had backed the motion, G17 Plus ministers had opposed it, while Democratic Party (DS) ministers had abstained. DS ministers justified their abstentions on the basis that a dissolved parliament did not have the authority to take decisions of such magnitude. They were able to vote in favor of the motion this time round, they said, because it would be down to the new parliament, formed after Sunday's elections, to decide whether or not to ratify the deal. Infrastructure Minister Velimir Ilic signed the energy agreement in Moscow on January 25. The contract envisages the formation of a joint company to build a major pipeline artery through Serbia with an annual minimum capacity of 10bn cc of gas, as well as Russian Gazprom buying a 51 percent majority holding in the Serbian Oil Industry for EUR 400mn, to be supplemented with further investments totaling some EUR 500mn. Both the president and prime minister attented the signing in Moscow. Vojislav Kostunica, Bozidar Djelic at today's meeting (FoNet, archive) Kostunica: SAA has no legitimacy Prime Minister Kostunica said that none of the DSS-NS ministers had attended the vote on the SAA as they had deemed that agreement to be "unconstitutional and going against the interests of the state and nation." According to a statement from Kostunica's cabinet, the prime minister and DSS-NS ministers had opposed the inclusion of the SAA on the agenda, and had left the chamber during the vote on the document, so as not to in any way lend legitimacy to an agreement that went directly against the country's interests.

Govt. adopts both deals, DSS walks out

As a result, the proposal to submit the SAA for ratification was passed unanimously.

Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica did however attend the vote on the Russian energy deal.

After a motion was adopted to consider the SAA first, Koštunica and his fellow DSS ministers left the chamber, returning later to consider the energy agreement.

Cabinet meetings are usually held on Thursdays, but at President Boris Tadić's request, the prime minister moved the meeting to today to coincide with election silence, to prevent either of the agreements being misused for political gain.

The Russian energy agreement had appeared on the government's agenda on two previous occasions, but had failed to receive majority backing. DSS-New Serbia had backed the motion, G17 Plus ministers had opposed it, while Democratic Party (DS) ministers had abstained.

DS ministers justified their abstentions on the basis that a dissolved parliament did not have the authority to take decisions of such magnitude.

They were able to vote in favor of the motion this time round, they said, because it would be down to the new parliament, formed after Sunday's elections, to decide whether or not to ratify the deal.

Infrastructure Minister Velimir Ilić signed the energy agreement in Moscow on January 25.

The contract envisages the formation of a joint company to build a major pipeline artery through Serbia with an annual minimum capacity of 10bn cc of gas, as well as Russian Gazprom buying a 51 percent majority holding in the Serbian Oil Industry for EUR 400mn, to be supplemented with further investments totaling some EUR 500mn.

Both the president and prime minister attented the signing in Moscow.

Koštunica: SAA has no legitimacy

Prime Minister Koštunica said that none of the DSS-NS ministers had attended the vote on the SAA as they had deemed that agreement to be "unconstitutional and going against the interests of the state and nation."

According to a statement from Koštunica's cabinet, the prime minister and DSS-NS ministers had opposed the inclusion of the SAA on the agenda, and had left the chamber during the vote on the document, so as not to in any way lend legitimacy to an agreement that went directly against the country's interests.