PM, ministers field questions on Kosovo, Telekom

The sale of Telekom Srbija and the state policy on Kosovo dominate the agenda today as the Serbian parliament meets in Belgrade. The session on Wednesday is dedicated to MP questions. PM, ministers field questions on Kosovo, Telekom Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic addressed MPs to saythat the government did not consider it necessary that companies such as Telekom Srbija should be funding budget needs in the long run, but rather that their profits should be reinvested so that the resource could be used for further development. Cvetkovic added that Telekom had last year achieved significant profits, which could be exploited in the expansion of technical facilities, noting also that the company needed new investment. He said that none of the arguments that DSS MPs had put forward objecting to the sale of Telekom, to the effect that it was a strategic resource which employed a large number of workers and subcontractors and generated profits, could not survive in the long run. Cvetkovic said that each of the arguments had another side to them, and could be adequately refuted. The prime minister stressed that the quality of employees should be raised and that it was in the interest of the state that contractors continued to provide their services. Cvetkovic also stated that the sale of the government owned telecommunications company was transparent, using a tender, so the buyer could not be known in advance. There have been rumors that the sale was set up so Deutsche Telekom would buy the company, but it has been proven to be a transparent procedure, which is still ongoing, so it would not be good to say just yet whether or not there will be a buyer, Cvetkovic stated. The prime minister then remarked that "certain politicians' statements that whoever buys Telekom Srbija will not be welcome are harmful to the country and the sale of the company". It is common practice to employ a financial adviser in cases like this in order to have someone point to potential irregularities, Cvetkovic explained when asked about irregularities regarding the sale. In this case, the government employed a world renowned company, Citibank, Cvetkovic stated, adding that no laws have been breached during the sale. Cvetkovic was also asked if anyone had requested a commission from the sole bidder in the tender, Telekom Austria. The prime minister responded that he "had no such information and called on anyone who might have it to present their evidence to the authorities". Head of Serbia's negotiation team Borislav Stefanovic addressed the issue of Kosovo to say that the goal of the Belgrade-Pristina talks is not and will not be the recognition of Kosovo and Metohija. Stefanovic said that Serbia's negotiation team fully abides by the Serbian Constitution and the parliament's resolutions, which clearly state that Kosovo and Metohija is an integral part of Serbia. "It has to be made clear that we do not want to, that we cannot and that we do not wish to recognize (Kosovo's) independence, and that this is not the goal of the negotiations. The negotiations are aimed at resolving the problems of the people there," Stefanovic stressed, underlining that neither the Serbian government, nor the negotiation team have the intention of crossing that line. He added that Serbia views the talks as a process in which solutions should be sought for concrete issues, all of which, in some way or other, also include the issue of status that Belgrade and Pristina have diametrically opposed stands on. "For us, the issue of status is quite clear - Kosovo and Metohija is a part of Serbia," Stefanovic said, and added that Serbia's citizens in Kosovo have many problems which they want Serbia to help them resolve and thus make their life easier. Stefanovic also noted that the Serbian side is willing to discuss all issues, which does not mean that it is ready to violate the Serbian Constitution in doing that. The SRS MPs criticized Serbian President Boris Tadic for not being present at the session, underlining that he is the most competent person to answer the question why Serbia decided to negotiate with the representatives of Kosovo's Albanians in the first place and why it gave up on the issue of status, "thus entering the slippery road towards recognizing the illegitimate independence of Kosovo". The opposition Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) has pushed for Telekom to be included in the agenda, with their proposal entitled, "The sale of Telekom Srbija - the motives and consequences". The government is currently attempting to sell the state-owned telecommunications company. The opposition Serb Progressives (SNS) have announced that they would file a lawsuit against the country's top officials, as they deem the process to be "an attempt to illegally sell the company". PM Mirko Cvetkovic and members of his cabinet are also answering questions related to the state policy on Kosovo, with the proposal filed by the opposition Serb Radical Party (SRS). The focus is expected to be on the results thus far of the several rounds of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue. (Tanjug)

PM, ministers field questions on Kosovo, Telekom

Prime Minister Mirko Cvetković addressed MPs to saythat the government did not consider it necessary that companies such as Telekom Srbija should be funding budget needs in the long run, but rather that their profits should be reinvested so that the resource could be used for further development.

Cvetković added that Telekom had last year achieved significant profits, which could be exploited in the expansion of technical facilities, noting also that the company needed new investment.

He said that none of the arguments that DSS MPs had put forward objecting to the sale of Telekom, to the effect that it was a strategic resource which employed a large number of workers and subcontractors and generated profits, could not survive in the long run.

Cvetković said that each of the arguments had another side to them, and could be adequately refuted.

The prime minister stressed that the quality of employees should be raised and that it was in the interest of the state that contractors continued to provide their services.

Cvetković also stated that the sale of the government owned telecommunications company was transparent, using a tender, so the buyer could not be known in advance.

There have been rumors that the sale was set up so Deutsche Telekom would buy the company, but it has been proven to be a transparent procedure, which is still ongoing, so it would not be good to say just yet whether or not there will be a buyer, Cvetković stated.

The prime minister then remarked that "certain politicians' statements that whoever buys Telekom Srbija will not be welcome are harmful to the country and the sale of the company".

It is common practice to employ a financial adviser in cases like this in order to have someone point to potential irregularities, Cvetković explained when asked about irregularities regarding the sale.

In this case, the government employed a world renowned company, Citibank, Cvetković stated, adding that no laws have been breached during the sale.

Cvetković was also asked if anyone had requested a commission from the sole bidder in the tender, Telekom Austria. The prime minister responded that he "had no such information and called on anyone who might have it to present their evidence to the authorities".

Head of Serbia's negotiation team Borislav Stefanović addressed the issue of Kosovo to say that the goal of the Belgrade-Priština talks is not and will not be the recognition of Kosovo and Metohija.

Stefanović said that Serbia's negotiation team fully abides by the Serbian Constitution and the parliament's resolutions, which clearly state that Kosovo and Metohija is an integral part of Serbia.

"It has to be made clear that we do not want to, that we cannot and that we do not wish to recognize (Kosovo's) independence, and that this is not the goal of the negotiations. The negotiations are aimed at resolving the problems of the people there," Stefanović stressed, underlining that neither the Serbian government, nor the negotiation team have the intention of crossing that line.

He added that Serbia views the talks as a process in which solutions should be sought for concrete issues, all of which, in some way or other, also include the issue of status that Belgrade and Priština have diametrically opposed stands on.

"For us, the issue of status is quite clear - Kosovo and Metohija is a part of Serbia," Stefanović said, and added that Serbia's citizens in Kosovo have many problems which they want Serbia to help them resolve and thus make their life easier.

Stefanović also noted that the Serbian side is willing to discuss all issues, which does not mean that it is ready to violate the Serbian Constitution in doing that.

The SRS MPs criticized Serbian President Boris Tadić for not being present at the session, underlining that he is the most competent person to answer the question why Serbia decided to negotiate with the representatives of Kosovo's Albanians in the first place and why it gave up on the issue of status, "thus entering the slippery road towards recognizing the illegitimate independence of Kosovo".

The opposition Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) has pushed for Telekom to be included in the agenda, with their proposal entitled, "The sale of Telekom Srbija - the motives and consequences".

The government is currently attempting to sell the state-owned telecommunications company.

The opposition Serb Progressives (SNS) have announced that they would file a lawsuit against the country's top officials, as they deem the process to be "an attempt to illegally sell the company".

PM Mirko Cvetković and members of his cabinet are also answering questions related to the state policy on Kosovo, with the proposal filed by the opposition Serb Radical Party (SRS).

The focus is expected to be on the results thus far of the several rounds of the Belgrade-Priština dialogue.