Minister denies "offering mines to Americans"

BELGRADE Serbian Minister of Mining, Spatial Planning and Natural Resources Milan Bacevic said that he had never offered Kosovo mines to the United States. The Tuesday issue of the Belgrade-based tabloid Informer said that the United States could soon take over the majority shares in all mines in Kosovo and Metohija formally owned by Serbia, while our country would be left with 49 percent of shares in the mines. Minister denies "offering mines to Americans" Citing sources close to the U.S. administration, the daily claimed that the deal had been reached by Minister Bacevic himself during the visit to the U.S. State of Illinois the previous week. However, Bacevic says that there has been no agreement on ceding Kosovo mines to Americans. “I am just another victim of the media. However, I am taking no account of that, I know that I am doing the right thing, I know that Serbia needs spatial plans, projects. That is the reason why, with this government, I established good communication with Russia, China, and now with the U.S. State of Illinois,” Bacevic said in an interview to the Thursday issue of the Belgrade-based daily Vecernje Novosti. He explained that he had signed a protocol on cooperation with a consortium comprised of big companies from the State of Illinois, and these companies would engage in major projects in Serbia under conditions that are valid for other foreign investors that submit tenders. “It has been made clear to them that Serbia wants to preserve its natural resources. They showed great interest in energy, renewable and regular energy sources, highly sophisticated technologies, geology, mining, research, in marketing new technologies for processing certain metals, the south section of South Stream,” Bacevic said. “What was under the jurisdiction of my ministry was completed before deadline. We completed the spatial plan for a special purpose, which was a basis for declaring South Stream a project of national importance,” Bacevic said. He announced that he would travel to Moscow in late March to discuss the South Stream gas pipeline, among other things. The authorities are now drafting a plan basis for the south section of the gas pipeline that would go toward Macedonia and Kosovo and Metohija, and investors from Illinois are ready to take part in this project, Bacevic underscored. He says that the Danube-Morava-Vardar canal is the greatest project that Serbia is planning, that the American interest in the canal is equal to that of the Chinese partners, who offered their experience in drafting a feasibility study. Another victim of the media: Minister Bacevic (Tanjug, file) Tanjug Vecernje novosti

Minister denies "offering mines to Americans"

Citing sources close to the U.S. administration, the daily claimed that the deal had been reached by Minister Bačević himself during the visit to the U.S. State of Illinois the previous week.

However, Bačević says that there has been no agreement on ceding Kosovo mines to Americans.

“I am just another victim of the media. However, I am taking no account of that, I know that I am doing the right thing, I know that Serbia needs spatial plans, projects. That is the reason why, with this government, I established good communication with Russia, China, and now with the U.S. State of Illinois,” Bačević said in an interview to the Thursday issue of the Belgrade-based daily Večernje Novosti.

He explained that he had signed a protocol on cooperation with a consortium comprised of big companies from the State of Illinois, and these companies would engage in major projects in Serbia under conditions that are valid for other foreign investors that submit tenders.

“It has been made clear to them that Serbia wants to preserve its natural resources. They showed great interest in energy, renewable and regular energy sources, highly sophisticated technologies, geology, mining, research, in marketing new technologies for processing certain metals, the south section of South Stream,” Bačević said.

“What was under the jurisdiction of my ministry was completed before deadline. We completed the spatial plan for a special purpose, which was a basis for declaring South Stream a project of national importance,” Bačević said.

He announced that he would travel to Moscow in late March to discuss the South Stream gas pipeline, among other things.

The authorities are now drafting a plan basis for the south section of the gas pipeline that would go toward Macedonia and Kosovo and Metohija, and investors from Illinois are ready to take part in this project, Bačević underscored.

He says that the Danube-Morava-Vardar canal is the greatest project that Serbia is planning, that the American interest in the canal is equal to that of the Chinese partners, who offered their experience in drafting a feasibility study.