Daily: Foreign minister rebukes ambassadors

BELGRADE Belgrade-based daily Danas has reported that Serbian Foreign Minister Ivan Mrkic has sent a strongly-worded letter "to all embassies and consulates of Serbia". In it, he criticizes them for "idleness, lack of motivation, going through the motions," and even for insufficient promotion of representatives of the new government in Belgrade. Daily: Foreign minister rebukes ambassadors Mrkic sent the letter to diplomatic and consular missions on November 9, i.e., to Serbian ambassadors and consuls around the world, in which he says that in the entire network of mission there is "lack of motivation and absence of initiative in a moment when the country is facing great external and internal challenges," the daily reports. The minister said that idleness in the diplomatic network of Serbia is the consequence of the election of the new government and added that the task of diplomatic missions worldwide is to, among other things, "promote the key government officials," and added that is should be "all the same which political formation runs the country." According to Danas, Mrkic said that there is a decline in production and overall activities, going through the motions, casual approach, and even complete idleness in most of the diplomatic and consular missions. "This will not be tolerated in the future," Mrkic said, and announced changes "based on the results," which will be carried out in accordance with "known criteria." The foreign minister called on ambassadors and consuls to understand this message properly, since it stems exclusively from amazingly poor performance of some diplomatic and consular mission, the daily reports. Danas also wrote that the news from government sources about the replacement of around 30 ambassadors recently became public, and that first replacements have been already carried out in Paris and Moscow, where Dusan Batakovic and Jelica Kurjak, both from the Democratic Party, were dismissed from their posts. The term of many diplomatic representatives has expired, which is why the announced changes should be interpreted as a "natural process," but, “at the same time, it is evident that this is a change of generations in the network which has not changed for years," Danas concludes. (Tanjug) Danas Tanjug

Daily: Foreign minister rebukes ambassadors

Mrkić sent the letter to diplomatic and consular missions on November 9, i.e., to Serbian ambassadors and consuls around the world, in which he says that in the entire network of mission there is "lack of motivation and absence of initiative in a moment when the country is facing great external and internal challenges," the daily reports.

The minister said that idleness in the diplomatic network of Serbia is the consequence of the election of the new government and added that the task of diplomatic missions worldwide is to, among other things, "promote the key government officials," and added that is should be "all the same which political formation runs the country."

According to Danas, Mrkić said that there is a decline in production and overall activities, going through the motions, casual approach, and even complete idleness in most of the diplomatic and consular missions.

"This will not be tolerated in the future," Mrkić said, and announced changes "based on the results," which will be carried out in accordance with "known criteria." The foreign minister called on ambassadors and consuls to understand this message properly, since it stems exclusively from amazingly poor performance of some diplomatic and consular mission, the daily reports.

Danas also wrote that the news from government sources about the replacement of around 30 ambassadors recently became public, and that first replacements have been already carried out in Paris and Moscow, where Dušan Bataković and Jelica Kurjak, both from the Democratic Party, were dismissed from their posts.

The term of many diplomatic representatives has expired, which is why the announced changes should be interpreted as a "natural process," but, “at the same time, it is evident that this is a change of generations in the network which has not changed for years," Danas concludes.