Tadić with regional leaders ahead of UNESCO event

Serbian President Boris Tadic held separate meetings with his Croatian, Montenegrin and Macedonian counterparts in Belgrade on Thursday. Tadic said after his meeting with Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov that Serbia is ready to promote cooperation in all areas. Tadic with regional leaders ahead of UNESCO event They conferred ahead of the UNESCO summit, to be held on Friday in Viminacium near Kostolac, eastern Serbia. The Serbian president expressed his satisfaction with good cooperation between state bodies of Serbia and the National Council of the Macedonian Minority, the president's press service said. Tadic also said that he expects the full exercise of the right to use the Serbian language and the right to information in the Serbian language in Macedonia, as well as greater endeavors of Macedonian authorities to ensure the preservation and renewal of Serbian monuments in Macedonia. The Serbian president, who is host of the UNESCO regional summit, also met Thursday with the presidents of Croatia and Montenegro Ivo Josipovic and Filip Vujanovic. Tadic and Josipovic reiterated mutual support for the accession to the European Union and stressed that open issues will not be resolved through setting conditions for integration. Tadic and Josipovic stressed after their meeting that the relations between Serbia and Croatia are too important for the two states and peoples and for the region to be jeopardized by thoughtless statements, the president's press service said in a release. Tadic added that he and Josipovic had made great efforts to raise the relations between the two states to the highest level and that this must continue. The presidents also emphasized that they would urge the two governments to rapidly resolve all open issues - refugees, missing persons, borders, succession and minority rights. Together, they highlight the necessity of holding an international donor conference for refugees, as well as of solving the problem of property rights of refugees. The presidents underlined the need for determining the fate of missing persons as a priority humanitarian issues, the release says. During the meeting with Montenegrin President Filip Vujanovic, Tadic said that the rights of Serbs in Montenegro should not be reduced to minority rights and that the country should provide equal status for the Serbian language in its educational system, a release from the Serbian president's press office said. Tadic also noted Serbia was very interested in resolving the issue of dual citizenship as soon as possible. Vujanovic said on Tuesday that Montenegro and Serbia had a good basis for the development of quality economic relations and a common interest in cooperation in the fight against organized crime and corruption. In an interview for Tanjug, Vujanovic stated that the meeting with his Serbia counterpart was aimed at encouraging further partnership between the two states and at ensuring full communication between citizens of Serbia and Montenegro. "We concluded that we have a good interstate contractual basis for the development of quality economic relations. This year we concluded four bilateral agreements and we created a good foundation for quality business communication," the Montenegrin president said. He also recalled a recent visit of Prime Minister of Montenegro Igor Luksic to Belgrade, saying that it had been successful and that it was a step further in building the closeness between the two states and a stepping stone to take bilateral economic cooperation to a higher level. Vujanovic said that the two countries have the necessary intergovernmental agreements for good cooperation in the field of security with regard to both military and police. The two states have a mutual interest in building the cooperation in combating organized crime and corruption through a full partnership, the Montenegrin president said. The meetings today came ahead of the 9th UNESCO summit of Southeast European heads of state. Tadic will host the summit dubbed “Modern Art, Reconciliation in Southeast Europe” at the Viminacium archeological site near the eastern Serbian town of Kostolac on September 2. Eight heads of state of Southeast European countries, UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova, EU Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou and Council of Europe Director General of Education, Culture and Heritage, Youth and Sport Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni are expected to attend the summit. Boris Tadic and Ivo Josipovic (Tanjug, file)

Tadić with regional leaders ahead of UNESCO event

They conferred ahead of the UNESCO summit, to be held on Friday in Viminacium near Kostolac, eastern Serbia.

The Serbian president expressed his satisfaction with good cooperation between state bodies of Serbia and the National Council of the Macedonian Minority, the president's press service said.

Tadić also said that he expects the full exercise of the right to use the Serbian language and the right to information in the Serbian language in Macedonia, as well as greater endeavors of Macedonian authorities to ensure the preservation and renewal of Serbian monuments in Macedonia.

The Serbian president, who is host of the UNESCO regional summit, also met Thursday with the presidents of Croatia and Montenegro Ivo Josipović and Filip Vujanović.

Tadić and Josipović reiterated mutual support for the accession to the European Union and stressed that open issues will not be resolved through setting conditions for integration.

Tadić and Josipović stressed after their meeting that the relations between Serbia and Croatia are too important for the two states and peoples and for the region to be jeopardized by thoughtless statements, the president's press service said in a release.

Tadić added that he and Josipović had made great efforts to raise the relations between the two states to the highest level and that this must continue.

The presidents also emphasized that they would urge the two governments to rapidly resolve all open issues - refugees, missing persons, borders, succession and minority rights. Together, they highlight the necessity of holding an international donor conference for refugees, as well as of solving the problem of property rights of refugees.

The presidents underlined the need for determining the fate of missing persons as a priority humanitarian issues, the release says.

During the meeting with Montenegrin President Filip Vujanović, Tadić said that the rights of Serbs in Montenegro should not be reduced to minority rights and that the country should provide equal status for the Serbian language in its educational system, a release from the Serbian president's press office said.

Tadić also noted Serbia was very interested in resolving the issue of dual citizenship as soon as possible.

Vujanović said on Tuesday that Montenegro and Serbia had a good basis for the development of quality economic relations and a common interest in cooperation in the fight against organized crime and corruption.

In an interview for Tanjug, Vujanović stated that the meeting with his Serbia counterpart was aimed at encouraging further partnership between the two states and at ensuring full communication between citizens of Serbia and Montenegro.

"We concluded that we have a good interstate contractual basis for the development of quality economic relations. This year we concluded four bilateral agreements and we created a good foundation for quality business communication," the Montenegrin president said.

He also recalled a recent visit of Prime Minister of Montenegro Igor Lukšić to Belgrade, saying that it had been successful and that it was a step further in building the closeness between the two states and a stepping stone to take bilateral economic cooperation to a higher level.

Vujanović said that the two countries have the necessary intergovernmental agreements for good cooperation in the field of security with regard to both military and police.

The two states have a mutual interest in building the cooperation in combating organized crime and corruption through a full partnership, the Montenegrin president said.

The meetings today came ahead of the 9th UNESCO summit of Southeast European heads of state.

Tadić will host the summit dubbed “Modern Art, Reconciliation in Southeast Europe” at the Viminacium archeological site near the eastern Serbian town of Kostolac on September 2.

Eight heads of state of Southeast European countries, UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova, EU Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou and Council of Europe Director General of Education, Culture and Heritage, Youth and Sport Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni are expected to attend the summit.