Russia - First Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Denisov Converses with Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Dimitris Dollis

Russia - First Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Denisov Converses with Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Dimitris Dollis

They held an in-depth exchange of views on the issues of promoting cooperation within the framework of BSECO.

In discussing key bilateral issues, both sides reiterated their desire to enhance cooperation in different areas, particularly in the energy, trade and economic fields.

The identity or similarity of positions on current pressing regional and international problems, the Cyprus peace process in particular, was noted. Denisov and Dollis expressed an intention to continue cooperation within the framework of international organizations.

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Serbia's Minister of Foreign Affairs attends the 25th meeting of BSEC in Moscow

Balkans Business News Correspondent - 16.12.2011

During his visit to Moscow, Jeremic will meet with Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov to examine further development of already good bilateral relations between the two countries.

Source: Serbian Government

Jeremic to visit Russia

Source: Tanjug

Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic will visit Moscow on Friday, where he is going to attend the 25th meeting of the foreign ministers council of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC).

During the visit, Jeremic will meet with his Russian colleague Sergey Lavrov, the Foreign Ministry has released.

Serbia is scheduled to take over the BSEC presidency next year. BSEC was established in 1992.

Its members are Albania, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, Greece, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine, while a number of other countries act as observers.

11:05 16/12/2011ALL NEWS

JARINJE /Serbia/, December 16 (Itar-Tass) —— The convoy of Russia’s EMERCOM carrying humanitarian aid for Kosovo Serbs started moving towards the city of Kosovska-Mitrovica, where unloading station is.

The EU’s three trucks escort the convoy.

Only on the night of Friday it became possible to agree on the convoy’s movement. Following the agreement, the trucks passed the EU customs at Jarinje station, and then stopped for the night near Kosovo’s border station.

05:24 16/12/2011ALL NEWS

Russian humanitarian convoy drives into Kosovo

http://www.itar-tass.com/en/c154/298896.html

MOSCOW, December 16 (Itar-Tass) —— A Russian convoy of trucks with humanitarian aid for Kosovo Serbs was finally allowed to drive into the province overnight after the Russia-EU summit gave a green light to it on Thursday.

“The convoy began to drive through Jarine checkpoint,” said the Russian emergencies ministry that sent the convoy.

Initially the Serbs on barricades refused to let EU mission staff in as they arrived in five cars instead of agreed three.

The convoy is to unload in Serb-populated Kosovska Mitrovica and depart for Russia on Saturday. The humanitarian aid includes an icon sent to Kosovo Serbs by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

Russian convoy with aid for Kosovo resumes its way

Topic: Kosovo problem

MOSCOW, December 16 (RIA Novosti)

A total of 25 trucks carrying electric generators, blankets, clothes, food and cooking gear were blocked by the European Union Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) after rejecting an escort. The proposed escort included customs and police officers representing Kosovo, whose independence is not recognized by Russia.

“The convoy resumed its way on the territory of Kosovo at 4:00 Moscow time [0:00 GMT],” the spokesman said.

An agreement to unblock the situation around the convoy was reached last night at the Russia-EU summit.

The humanitarian cargo weighing a total of 284 metric tons is to be taken to the Red Cross department in Kosovska Mitrovica, the largest city in the predominantly Serb-populated northern Kosovo.

Kosovo, a landlocked region with a population of mainly ethnic Albanians, declared its independence from Serbia in February 2008. Ethnic Serbs account as much as 10 percent of Kosovo's two-million population.

Both Serbia and Russia do not recognize Kosovo's independence.

Kosovo-bound Russian aid convoy finally gets green light

A Russian convoy carrying humanitarian supplies has finally been cleared to enter Kosovo and is preparing to set off for Mitrovica, a city with a large Serb majority in northern Kosovo.

The convoy is scheduled to start moving at 6am GMT on Friday.

It had earlier been reported that the convoy was being delayed at a border crossing as local Serbs objected to the number of EULEX vehicles accompanying the convoy.

Prior to that Russia’s ambassador to Serbia had earlier announced that Russia and the EU had reached an agreement to allow the convoy of 25 trucks carrying humanitarian aid for Kosovo’s Serbian population through into Kosovo. The convoy had already been held up by EULEX forces at the Jarinje border crossing for three days.

“The agreement to resolve the situation around the convoy was reached yesterday during the Russia-EU summit,” the Russian ambassador to Serbia, Aleksandr Konuzin, told reporters on Thursday at the border crossing. He said the humanitarian convoy would move on Friday morning.

However, despite this agreement being reached, the convoy could not start moving as local Serbs were refusing to let in the EULEX vehicles accompanying the convoy, saying there were five of them instead of the stipulated three.

Earlier, following talks with Konuzin, Radenko Nedeljkovic, a Kosovo Serb leader, said that an agreement had been reached for the convoy to be accompanied by three EULEX vehicles.

“We didn’t want to politicize this issue any longer as it had been politicized too much already,” Nedeljkovic said as quoted by Adnkronos news agency. “We want the aid to reach those for whom it is intended.”

The convoy, consisting of 25 trucks with aid, including power-generators, blankets, food supplies, furniture and other necessities, was stopped by EULEX on Tuesday at one of the troubled border checkpoints. Moscow claimed it was a purely political move. The aid convoy was headed for Mitrovica, the largest city in Kosovo’s Serb-dominated north.

Two trucks were able to enter Kosovo through the Jarinje border checkpoint, but the rest were not allowed through by the EULEX police in charge of the post.

EULEX said it wanted to escort the convoy on its route to Mitrovica, but Russia said the region was safe and there was no reason for EULEX to accompany its trucks. Conversely, Kosovo Serbs did not want to allow EULEX police through, as they saw it as an opportunity for Kosovo customs officials to sneak into their region.

EULEX also said Russia could use another checkpoint at Merdare. However, Russia refused this offer because the checkpoint is under Kosovo control, a country Russia does not recognize.

The stand-off came as a new twist to a nearly five-month confrontation in the majority Serb-populated northern Kosovo.