Serbia

IMF: Serbia in recession, must meet terms for IMF loan

IMF: Serbia in recession, must meet terms for IMF loan Belgrade - Serbia's economy would decline by 2 per cent in 2009, instead of growing by 3.5 as was originally projected, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Thursday, unveiling details of a new standby loan for Belgrade.

The Serbian economy would stagnate in 2010, IMF said, in contrast to recent optimistic statements by Belgrade officials, who until recently insisted that the global financial crisis would largely bypass Serbia.

Serbia and IMF reach 4-billion-dollar loan deal

Serbia and IMF reach 4-billion-dollar loan deal Belgrade  - Serbia reached a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on a three-billion-euro (4.06 billion dollars) loan over two years, Serbian Minister of economy Mladjan Dinkic said Wednesday.

"The agreement was reached and I expect it to be made public tomorrow by both Serbian government and the IMF," Dinkic told journalists and added that 2.2 billion euros of the loan will be used in 2009.

Serbia remembers "crime" and "destruction" decade after NATO bombs

Serbia remembers "crime" and "destruction" decade after NATO bombs Belgrade - Serbia on Tuesday marked a decade since NATO started bombing it over the war in Kosovo, revisiting the horrors and many of the same questions raised during the attacks.

NATO bombed the then Yugoslavia for 78 days, until it ousted Serbian security forces from Kosovo, paving the way for the return of the ethnic Albanian population to the homes they had fled in the face of fighting with ethnic Serbian forces.

Serbia urges UN not to draw down forces in Kosovo

Serbia urges UN not to draw down forces in Kosovo New York  - Serbian President Boris Tadic on Monday urged the United Nations to remain in Kosovo and not cut its troops and budget, but the UN said it has drastically reconfigured its presence a year after Kosovo seceded from Belgrade.

Tadic appeared before the UN Security Council in New York to request that the UN mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) continue to function fully and protect the Serb ethnic population in the territory.

Belgrade rejected Pristina's unilateral declaration of independence in February 2008, still claiming it as a Serb province.

Thousands in Serbia "still in danger from NATO cluster bombs"

Thousands in Serbia "still in danger from NATO cluster bombs" Belgrade - Civilians in Serbia are still in danger from thousands of unexploded cluster bombs almost a decade after NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, local media reported Saturday.

A study by Norwegian People's Aid said that some 2,500 unexploded pieces of cluster ordnance were scattered across 15 municipalities, mainly in southern Serbia near the border with Kosovo, and the second largest city of Nis.

Croatian premier visits Serbia in a bid to thaw relations

Ivo SanaderBelgrade - Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader visited Belgrade Friday in a bid to thaw relations which Serbia froze over Zagreb's recognition of Kosovo.

Sanader and Serbian Premier Mirko Cvetkovic acknowledged the problems burdening bilateral ties since the conflict last decade and even before, but said they were willing to work for better relations.

"We expect some issues to be resolved quickly and that some we will begin resolving in the future," Sanader told reporters after meeting Cvetkovic.

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