“SPS, SNS to make final decision on ministries”

BELGRADE PM-Designate Ivica Dacic has stated that Socialists and Progressives will start distributing ministries after the talks with parties that have fewer ministries. “Some agreements have already been reached since there are parties that have a smaller number of ministries and the talks are practically over. We still need to continue the talks with some parties and to finish the final distribution between the Socialist Party of Serbia and the Serbian Progressive Party,” he explained. “SPS, SNS to make final decision on ministries” Dacic said that every party should not have its own ministry that nobody else would be able to interfere with because “the government needs to be a team and there are no independent players”. “This means that all decisions that will be made need to be joint, just like responsibility,” the SPS leader pointed out. He announced that he would very soon talk to Social Democratic Party of Serbia (SDPS) leader Rasim Ljajic and with the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (SVM). Dacic noted that there was a wish of the ruling coalition to harmonize the local self-governments with the republic government but added that there were certain towns where such a combination was not possible. According to him, there is no need to change the authorities in Belgrade but that the ruling structure in majority of towns in Vojvodina will change since the SPS is not a part of the Vojvodina Executive Council and has no obligation to be in a coalition with the Democratic Party (DS) at a local level. Dacic pointed out that he was satisfied with a way the goals of the new government had been defined in the coalition agreement. Commenting on his visit to Berlin, he said Germany and Serbia had differing views on many issues, for example Kosovo, but that Germany was an inevitable and badly needed ally in the EU. Dacic said the terms under which Serbia would be allowed to join the EU had remained the same, and denied that they included the opening of a Pristina government office in Belgrade and vice versa. "The conditions are the same - to implement the agreements reached by Belgrade and Prisitna, reach agreements on telecommunications and energy, and preserve peace and stability in Kosovo," explained the PM-designate. He believes the Belgrade-Pristina talks should be raised to the political level, which would prevent discussion as to whether Serbia should recognize Kosovo, "because it has said it will not, but focus on how to ensure peace and stability within the existing reality." Dacic noted that the goal was to get a date for the beginning of the EU accession talks as soon as possible but that Serbia needed to know what it needed to do in order to get it. “We need to avoid agreeing on something and not having a clue what we agreed on in the end,” he said. “What are we going to do until Serbia formally joins the EU? The citizens need to live. It’s the same for Kosovo. The question is when we will have a solution that will be acceptable for both peoples,” Dacic stressed. Commenting on the economy, he said that he expected the financial sector and businessmen to come up with proposals that citizens would benefit from, adding that a possible solution was a stimulation of development and the economy. Ivica Dacic (file) Tanjug

“SPS, SNS to make final decision on ministries”

Dačić said that every party should not have its own ministry that nobody else would be able to interfere with because “the government needs to be a team and there are no independent players”.

“This means that all decisions that will be made need to be joint, just like responsibility,” the SPS leader pointed out.

He announced that he would very soon talk to Social Democratic Party of Serbia (SDPS) leader Rasim Ljajić and with the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (SVM).

Dačić noted that there was a wish of the ruling coalition to harmonize the local self-governments with the republic government but added that there were certain towns where such a combination was not possible.

According to him, there is no need to change the authorities in Belgrade but that the ruling structure in majority of towns in Vojvodina will change since the SPS is not a part of the Vojvodina Executive Council and has no obligation to be in a coalition with the Democratic Party (DS) at a local level.

Dačić pointed out that he was satisfied with a way the goals of the new government had been defined in the coalition agreement.

Commenting on his visit to Berlin, he said Germany and Serbia had differing views on many issues, for example Kosovo, but that Germany was an inevitable and badly needed ally in the EU.

Dačić said the terms under which Serbia would be allowed to join the EU had remained the same, and denied that they included the opening of a Priština government office in Belgrade and vice versa.

"The conditions are the same - to implement the agreements reached by Belgrade and Prišitna, reach agreements on telecommunications and energy, and preserve peace and stability in Kosovo," explained the PM-designate.

He believes the Belgrade-Priština talks should be raised to the political level, which would prevent discussion as to whether Serbia should recognize Kosovo, "because it has said it will not, but focus on how to ensure peace and stability within the existing reality."

Dačić noted that the goal was to get a date for the beginning of the EU accession talks as soon as possible but that Serbia needed to know what it needed to do in order to get it.

“We need to avoid agreeing on something and not having a clue what we agreed on in the end,” he said.

“What are we going to do until Serbia formally joins the EU? The citizens need to live. It’s the same for Kosovo. The question is when we will have a solution that will be acceptable for both peoples,” Dačić stressed.

Commenting on the economy, he said that he expected the financial sector and businessmen to come up with proposals that citizens would benefit from, adding that a possible solution was a stimulation of development and the economy.