The victory of United Russia is a victory for Serbia too, because Russia will keep on giving principled support to preserving the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia when it comes to Kosovo and Metohia.

The vice president of the Democratic Party of Serbia, Nenad Popovic is staying in Russia, where he is observing the parliamentary elections in this country on behalf of the DSS.

Popovic visited the election HQ of United Russia, the political party with which DSS has an inter-party agreement. On that occasion he voiced the support of the president of DSS ,Vojislav Kostunica, to the management of United Russia and expressed expectations that this party would be the victors at these elections.

“I am expecting a landslide victory of United Russia. This success would be a nod for all the things this party, helmed by Vladimir Putin, has done in the previous period for Russia”.

Popovic highlighted that the “victory of United Russia is a victory for Serbia too because Russia will keep providing principled support to preserving the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia, when it comes to Kosovo and Metohia.“

“Also, we can expect an even greater development of economic cooperation in the future between the two countries and the continuation of Russian investments in Serbia”, Popovic concludes.

Dear friends,

Every citizen of Serbia can see that the people and state, the entire country and its future are seriously jeopardized. Kosovo has been hit the hardest and this is definitely the first and burning issue. Commerce is also jeopardized, Vojvodina and the Raska regions, and in one word , Serbia entirely.

DSS has solutions. We are not offering fairytales or empty promises, but a specific program. Our goal, when we take over the government in Serbia and Leskovac to provide employers with financial incentive while hiring the youth who are looking for work for the first time, tax benefits during the first three years of employment of a new worker, double investments into science, provide favorable and subsidized loans for entrepreneurs, start-ups.

“DSS has solutions. We are not offering fairytales or empty promises, but a specific program. Our goal, when we take over the government in Serbia an Leskovac to provide employers with financial incentive while hiring the youth who are looking for work for the first time, tax benefits in the first three years of employment of a new worker, to double investments in science, provide favorable and subsidized loans for entrepreneurs start-ups”, said Nemanja Petrovic, president of the DSS Youth in Leskovac where the campaign of the youth was continued with a press conference.

Petrovic highlighted that at this time, 75% of the students wants to leave Serbia, a quarter of the youth are doing jobs for which they didn’t go to school, while the unemployment rate during the period of the current government has gone up by 26%.

Dragan Danicic, vice-president of the Executive Board of the DSS expressed assurance that the DSS is the only one with an economic program the application of which could solve the chaotic economic state that this government has made.

- We offer real solutions, without unrealistic promises, like 200.000 jobs or EUR 1.000 shares, which the present government had promised the people of Serbia at the start of its mandate”, Danicic remarked.

Leskovac has about 30.000 unemployed of which over 50% are younger than 32 as well as 12.000 people less against the latest census. There is almost no economy in it. The youth are leaving because they don’t wish to work for a salary of RSD 12.000 without being payed contributions.

The goal of DSS is for Leskovac to grow, which is clearly defined by the Leskovac Development Program 2011 – 2016.“

The President of the Democratic Party of Serbia, Vojislav Kostunica announced tonight that Serbs from northern Kosovo must make the decision on removing the barricades on their own.

Serbs from the northern province should pressure the government “into not trading with their lives or destinies because of EU candidacy” Kostunica remarked for Pink TV. Asked whether removing the barricades is a necessary, Kostunica said that the government should have done everything to have prevented such a situation from arising.

“The negotiations from July 2, September 16 and November 22 shouldn’t have been led the way they were led, because the government slowly agreed to everything that recognizes the documents and institutions of Pristina”.

Kostunica remarked that violence in northern Kosovo was spurred on by UNMIK and NATO, stating that the people living there are seriously jeopardized. He expressed hope that violence in northern Kosovo will be avoided.

All the jobs done by these expensive agencies were in the once former Yugoslavia performed by the respective ministries, which is why the entire administration of the former SFRY, with six republics and two regions, counted 28 134 people, while in Serbia alone the state administration counts 29 834 employees.

The government of Serbia is supposed to revoke 131 state agencies that it had founded over the past five years, releases the Serbian Employers’ Union.

“Instead of the state administration, with a surplus of 150.000 employees, reducing bureaucracy, it has significantly increased the bureaucratic apparatus”, it stands in the Union’s announcement.

In the announcement it is stated that “all the jobs done by these expensive agencies were in the once former Yugoslavia performed by the respective ministries, which is why the entire administration of the former SFRY, with six republics and two regions, counted 28 134 people, while in Serbia alone the state administration counts 29 834 employees“.

“The excuse under which the government of Serbia had opened these agencies is that we cannot manage without them doesn’t hold ground, because Germany as a leading commercial force in the world has just 6 such agencies. Slovakia 8, Finland 9, the Czech Republic 11 and neighboring Croatia announced that it would slash in half the present 47 agencies for the goal of reduced bureaucracy and operation costs. Unlike them, Serbia is with 131 agencies a true European record holder by the number of state agencies”, it is said in the announcement of the Serbian Employers’ Union signed by the president Dragan Marjanovic.

State agencies are costing the people of Serbia and commerce EUR 820mn which is good capital for the establishment of the Serbian Development Bank.

The Serbian Employers’ Union is asking to stop with the practice of establishing agencies and hoarding staff in them. The agencies are draining huge amounts from the pockets of tax payers. They are also requesting for the principles of tough savings to be adopted and aiming the money into development instead of the claws of bureaucracy.

After heating a portion of the transportation route from Cajetina to Zlatibor, this winter the underground heating with geothermal waters will be assembled on King’s Square in the heart of Zlatibor.

After heating a portion of the transportation route from Cajetina to Zlatibor, this winter the underground heating with geothermal waters will be assembled on King’s Square in the heart of Zlatibor.

As energy source, for heating will be used hydrothermal energy pumping out the water with the assistance of heat pumps from the underground water sites in the Sloboda area, some100m away.

“In the next 15 days, a pump is to be made and the entire system connected, so that in the upcoming winter season, King’s Square will be without snow or ice. The same heating system of transportation sections with pipes arranged beneath the asphalt surface was also done on the crossroads towards Colovica hill, which was constantly under ice during the winter months”, says the president of Cajetina municipality, Milan Stamatovic.

“In Jablanica we discovered a source of hyper alkaline water, of very high PH values and a temperature of around 17°C. There are only seven such water sources on the planet and it has been established that it can treat skin diseases”, highlights Ana Vranjes from the Mining and Geological faculty.

Besides this, there are other underground geothermal and medicinal waters in the area of Zlatibor and Cajetina municipality, where they are resolved to use these sources for the development of health tourism too.

Research on the underground waters on Zlatibor continues next year too, with the assistance of the Ministry of Science for the goal of using renewable energy sources.

I believe that with the latest events in the EU, the ‘Europe has no Alternative’ policy has been definitely defeated like many other policies of this government.

Popovic says that it’s high time a discussion opens up in Serbia about entering the EU, and that we can see “the advantages and flaws of Euro-integrations’, and not impose the issue of entering the EU as if it was a fateful issue for the survival of Serbia”.

- Such a discussion is especially important at this time when due to the large internal crisis even the very EU members are considering alternatives. I believe that with the latest events, the policy “Europe has no Alternative” has been definitely defeated like many other policies of this government.

What is the solution for the Kosovo problem? Is it enough to say, “We’ll never admit Kosovo” and what can Serbia actually do?

- We have to constantly advocate the observance of Resolution 1244 and insist on negotiations over Kosovo to be led at the Security Council of the UN, and not in Brussels which has openly stood on the side of Kosovo’s independence. At the Security Council we have the principle support of the Russians and no decision in this body can be made without the permission of Russia or Serbia.

I DON’T BURDEN THE BUDGET

You are the only MP that hasn’t taken a penny from the state budget. Why?

- I’ve been working in commerce for over 20 years and I entered politics as a materially situated person. Money never was a motive for me to engage myself politically. I figured that owing to the economic crisis it would be unfair for me to additionally burden the state budget.

Can such a cemented standpoint of the DSS on Kosovo help the people of Serbia live a better life?

- Our goal is the development of Serbia and we feel that the country should open up to new alternatives, because we believe that this will enable a greater inflow of investments, and with it more work and better salaries for our citizens. Plus, we need to bring the economic relations with the EU to a higher level.

How will your party fare in the upcoming elections? What kind of a result are you expecting?

- The DSS at this moment has a double-digit rating. The rating will keep rising as elections grow nearer, particularly when we unveil our economic program in February for the years 2012-2017. We owe credit for this rating to the president of our party, Vojislav Kostunica, probably the only political leader in Serbia without daily-changing policies, but possessing the ability to anticipate future political events.

Will you be entering into an election coalition?

- At this moment, the members of the DSS want an independent appearance in the elections, and the party will make its decision when the elections are called. Afterwards, we will discuss potential coalitions with all the parties running a nationally responsible policy and which don’t put the interest of the EU or any other alien interests ahead of the Serbian.

WE BARE NO GRUDGE AGAINST ILIC

Is the DSS angry with Velimir Ilic for turning to the Serbian Progressive Party?

- Of course not. Every party chooses his own path and partners. For us, it’s important the Progressive Party is an opposition party, opposing the politics of the present government.

With which party could you go into a coalition, and would you make an alliance with the Progressive Party if you are in a position to form a government together?

- We’ll discuss post-election coalitions after the elections. We are having talks with the mentioned party and exchanging thoughts on the most important issues for Serbia. There are issues over which we agree and those over which we don’t. What’s important is that there is a will on both sides to come to an agreement about which road Serbia should take after the elections. One thing is certain, the government will after elections be comprised of a different ruling majority, because the people want changes.

Is the DSS considering a coalition with the Serbian Radical Party?

- Right now we are only thinking about ourselves, and achieving as better results in elections as possible.

Can you imagine cooperation with the DS and under what conditions?

- The DSS and DS have had essentially opposing policies for the past three years. We are primarily oriented towards Serbia, and they towards the EU. Our party is prepared to cooperate with all the parties who put the state and economic interests of Serbia ahead of foreign interests.

Blic

Companies and entrepreneurs are making ends meet. The number of shut down companies beats the newly incorporated with a gap that gets bigger monthly. Since the start of the year, 8.345 companies have fallen down the cracks and this number will rise by the end of the year.

The people of Serbia have no cause to believe that they will be earning more, spending less or finding a better job. Chances are greater that their company turns insolvent or winds up the year with an overdraft. Even if the merchants, in expectation of the New Year cash inflow, lower their prices, the difference will be paid through costlier loans, because it all says that the Euro will be more expensive.

In the past few days the Euro has been picking up strength daily against the domestic currency, bringing it closer to RSD 104 today. What will happen by the end of the year, they say at exchange offices, is ungrateful to predict but they believe that Serbia will enter 2012 with a rate of RSD 105 the most.

- We’re hoping that by the end of December it will be at the level of last year’s RSD 105– says for Novosti, Borislav Brujic, president of the Serbian Exchange Offices Association.

On the other hand, economists in the know say that the Euro will grow, if the Central Bank keeps lowering its reference interest rate. On the eve of the New Year’s holidays is expected a greater arrival of foreigners, with the Euro cheapening in the same period by RSD 2.

By the end of the year, prices in Serbia, with certain deviations, will be stable. Economists are expecting that owing to the poorer trade and drop in domestic purchasing power, certain groceries like oil, flour, meat could cheapen.

- As early as mid-December, there are traditional holiday discounts. They are usually up to 25% for not just food, different treats or drinks for the upcoming family celebrations but also for small house appliances, textiles, clothing, footwear – merchants say. There are already six month layaway payments so as to unburden the home budgets for a period of time.

No lowered prices were recorded at petrol stations this year. This trend of rising prices, judging by it all, will continue until New Year. On the other hand, the sale of new cars in Serbia has never been poorer. In the first quarter of 2011, the drop in sales of new cars against 2010 was 30%. No importers believe that things will pick up in November and December, despite unbelievable discounts.

Companies and entrepreneurs find it tougher to stay afloat. The number of those shut down top the ones that are newly incorporated. Since the start of 2011, the number of shut down companies was 8.345 and is expected to rise by the end of the year. The number of employed is again higher but luckily insignificant. There shouldn’t be any significant changes by the end of the year, but in 2012, this could continue with more layoffs. Tens of companies are considering this measure, surveys reveal.

Vecernje novosti

DSS will early next year present an innovated Serbian Development Program for the years 2012 to 2017 and soon a Vojvodina Development Program, Kostunica announces.

The president of the Democratic Party of Serbia, Vojislav Kostunica says that the main topic in the election campaign of this party will be the economic development of the country, connected to territorial integrity, and consequently, Kosovo and Metohia.

“The main topic will be economic development”, Kostunica remarked in an interview for news agency Beta and added that production, lowering unemployment, raising personal income are a basis for defending the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia.

“If you have this – you can defend Kosovo. Things are interconnected. The EU and Kosovo cannot be separated but the growth of Serbia and defense of territorial integrity of Serbia can be”, Kostunica says.

The DSS will early next year present its innovated Serbian Development Program for 2012-2017 and soon a Development Program for Vojvodina too, Kostunica said.

To the issue of a potential election and post-election coalition, Kostunica remarked that this topic “will be opened when the elections are called, not right now”.

When it comes to post-election coalitions, “the people should be left to show how they feels about the political parties and their programs” Kostunica says and adds that he is certain that DSS will stick with the principles of its policy, when it comes to observing the Constitution, Kosovo, Vojvodina, Serbia’s development, cooperation and the protection of the Republic of Srpska.

Kostunica says that the difference between the DSS and parties of the ruling coalition is immense but that there is also a difference between the DSS and other opposition parties too.

“A true gap between the DSS and the ruling coalition was made when the Agreement on Stabilization and Accession was rushed to be signed and the government pretended that the EU and Kosovo are two completely separate processes” Kostunica says.

The DSS and the Serbian Progressive Party differ when it comes to the Constitution – the Progressives are arguing for changes, while the Constitution is for the DSS a defense of Serbian integrity  and also the potential for its development, as well as in issues related to EU’s relations towards Kosovo, and if it’s even in the interest of Serbia to be an EU member, says the president of DSS.

Kostunica states that there were talks between the DSS and SNS but that DSS has never had talks with the ruling coalition.

“The situation in Serbia would be completely different if there was dialog, if we aspired to a consensus like the one that existed in the Serbian assembly until 2008, Kostunica says. Asked about speculations about his involvement in the murder of PM Zoran Djindjic in 2003, Kostunica repeated that this is a witch hunt.

“If the DSS and myself were to personally say that the future of Serbia in Euro-Atlantic integrations was bright, in EU membership, in NATO, that the EU had no alternative and that Kosovo was just a trifle in relation to the EU, this witch hunt would cease”, Kostunica said.

Beta

The loan agreement was made so that Cyprus could service its debts, stimulate growth and return investor trust into the economy of this land - is the official position of the government of Cyprus.

The Cyprian government has approved the taking out of a loan from the Russian Federation in the amount of EUR 2.5bn, or USD 3.3bn.

The loan agreement was made so that Cyprus could service its debts, stimulate growth and return investor trust into the economy of this country, is the official position of the government of Cyprus.

An annual interest rate of 4.5% has been agreed while the debt should be repaid in 4.5 years.

The loan, together with government measures that ensure fiscal stability over a middle period of time, will yield great benefits to the island, says the spokesperson of the government, Stefanos Stefanu.

The connection of Cyprian banks with Greece (which is in large debts) has lowered Cyprus’s credit rating several times, raised interest rates for bonds and disabled the government from borrowing commercially.

Stefanu remarked that the loan would enable lower interest rates for state bonds, that it would raise the country’s credit rating and bring back investors. Russia and Cyprus have strong diplomatic ties but also that the big Russian money lies in Cyprian banks.

AP