The thirteenth session of the Committee on Defence and Security of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia was held on 15 November 2004, and was chaired by the Committee’s chairman, Milorad Mircic.

The Committee discussed and adopted the Report on the Activities of the Ministry of the Interior and the Security Situation in the Republic of Serbia for the Period from 1 March to 31 October 2004. The session was attended by the Minister of the Interior in the Government of the Republic of Serbia, Dragan Jocic, head of Belgrade Secretariat of the Interior, Milorad Simic, head of the Directorate for the Suppression of Organised Crime, Mladen Spasic, head of the Public Security Service, Miroslav Milosevic, as well as other officials.

Mr Jocic acquainted Committee members with the new strategy of the Ministry of the Interior – reorganising the Ministry and introducing a new finance division to make the Ministry’s affairs more efficient.

A reduction in crime of 20% compared to last year, the introduction of a partnership between the police and the public, and the formation of the Bureau for Co-operation with Inter-ethnic Organisations were among the undertakings Mr Jocic cited as the Ministry’s successfully accomplished tasks.

He announced that a Police Bill would soon enter Assembly procedure, as well as that it was necessary to adopt an act aimed at regulating control of police activities.

The head of the Directorate for the Suppression of Organised Crime, Mladen Spasic, informed Committee members of the Witness Protection Bill and the creation of a special protection unit within the Ministry of the Interior.