A formal reception was held today at the National Assembly for ten students to attend a work placement programme at the Assembly over the next four months. The aim of the programme is to acquaint the students with all aspects of the Assembly’s work.

Welcoming the students, the Vice-chairman of the National Assembly, Vojislav Mihailovic, said that the programme was part of a new practice that would become a tradition. Mr Mihailovic underlined that the present convocation of the Assembly had, by adopting over 200 laws, contributed to the European Commission’s positive assessment of the preparedness of Serbia and Montenegro to start negotiations on a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the European Union; the Assembly had, according to Mr Mihailovic, also played a key role in the opening of EU accession negotiations and the conclusion of a three-year arrangement with the International Monetary Fund.

The students were also addressed by the National Assembly’s Secretary, Marko Danilovic, and the Assistant Secretary and head of the Working Bodies’ Affairs Sector, Mirjana Radakovic. They spoke of the role of the Secretary and the Committees in the work of the National Assembly. Vladimir Pavlovic, of the Belgrade Open School, spoke of the role of the National Assembly in the nation’s political system.

The National Assembly work placement programme was initiated four years ago in co-operation with the OSCE Mission to Serbia and Montenegro; this is the first year the Assembly will organise it independently. A total of 90 students, from Belgrade’s Faculties of Political Sciences, Economics, Philology, and Business Law, have so far been employed on work placement programmes at the National Assembly.

This year the programme is, for the first time, voluntary; the 20 student volunteers, from the Faculties of Law, Philosophy, Economics, and Political Sciences, will take part in two semesters of four months each. In the second semester one student each will assist the Office of the Chairman and the Information Service, two will be assigned to the Research Centre, while six are to help with the work of National Assembly Committees.