On 6 September, the Kosovo and Metohia Committee of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia held a sitting to discuss the Report on the Activities of the Kosovo and Metohia Co-Ordination Centre from 1 January to 30 June 2006. The sitting was chaired by the Committee’s chairman, Dusan Prorokovic.

Committee members were addressed by the chairperson of the Co-Ordination Centre, Sanda Raskovic-Ivic, who underlined that the Centre was ‘deeply involved’ in the work of the Serbian team negotiating the future status of Kosovo and Metohia. She added that the upcoming round of negotiations would focus on de-centralisation and protection of Serb religious and cultural heritage. She also told the Committee that she had informed foreign ambassadors to Belgrade with activities of the Co-Ordination Centre and the Serbian negotiating team’s platform; Ms Raskovic-Ivic had also suggested that National Assembly deputies should again visit countries in the region and sensitise members of those countries’ parliaments with key issues related to the future status of Kosovo and Metohia.

Committee members again assessed the Centre’s work as successful, and asked several questions about the work of some of its functions. The deputies also provided several possible solutions and measures that could improve the situation in Serbia’s southern province.

The Committee unanimously adopted the semi-annual Report on the Activities of the Co-Ordination Centre, and supported the proposal made by Committee member Miroslav Markicevic to re-introduce the Kosovo and Metohia Bill into Assembly procedure. The Bill had earlier been introduced by Mr Markicevic, but will now be officially backed by the Committee.