Vladimir Putin brings to Belgrade package of projects worth USD 10 billions

[Radojica]

A package for Serbian economy brought to Belgrade by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin yesterday is worth USD 10 billions, ‘Blic’ learns. Whether that package shall be utilized or not, depends mainly on our side, i.e. on skill and seriousness of domestic business people.

At the moment it is known that 3 billions are for the Army of Serbia. Also debts by the NIS to Serbian budget shall be settled (about EUR 1 billion). And finally, the enterprise ‘Southern Stream’ is going to be founded.

Our business people yesterday did not have any concrete reply to the offer so the sides were only discussing what the Russian side had offered. A large delegation of Russian business people is expected to come on March 30 when all items discussed are to be turned into contracts.

The ‘Southern Stream' gas pipeline shall definitely run through Serbia.
The issue of Russian credit worth USD 800 millions remains open since our side has not drawn it yet. Russians yesterday also expressed interest in the whole system of the ‘Elektroprivreda Srbije’.

‘There is not a single limit in our cooperation’, Serbia President Boris Tadic said yesterday pointing out confirmation of construction of the ‘Southern Stream’, additional investment of EUR 500 millions into the NIS, development of ‘Lukoil’ petrol pumps net, new investments in energy system and electric power plants and credit of USD 800 for Serbia Railways.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin arrived on one-day visit to Belgrade at noon yesterday. As said the visit should give boost to economic and political cooperation between Russia and Serbia. However, although the top political representatives of Serbia and the Russian Prime Minister spoke about unlimited possibilities of cooperation in the sphere of traffic, tourism, science, technique, culture, nuclear energy, reconstruction of railways and agreement over international policy, not much concretely was said.

The meeting between Putin and Tadic at the Palace of Serbia lasted unusually long, over an hour and a half. After that political and economic meetings with Putin followed.

‘Mr. Putin’s visit to Serbia contributes to stronger political ties and cooperation between the two countries. I also see it as a confirmation of traditional friendship between Serbia and Russia’, Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic said opening the meeting attended by ministers of infrastructure and energy (Milutin Mrkonjic), education and science (Zarko Obradovic), environment, mining and environmental planning (Oliver Dulic) and Belgrade City Mayor (Dragan Djilas).

The Russian side was represented by ministers for extraordinary situations (Sergei Shoigy), traffic (Igor Levitin), deputy minister for education and science (AlexeyPonamarev), Deputy Chief of Prime Minister’s cabinet (Yuri Ushakov), deputy minister for economic development (Andrei Slepnev), deputy diplomacy chief (Vladimir Titov) and Russian Ambassador to Serbia (Aleksandr Konuzin).
Meetings at the Palace of Serbia resulted in signing of four agreements. After that Serbia President and Russia Prime Minister held a joint press conference.

President Tadic said that ‘the two countries have the highest degree of accordance in all domains of international policy’. He thanked Putin for support Russia was giving to Serbia regarding Kosovo and Metohija issue, for the fact that Serbia has been included in Russian global energy plans and for the USD 200 million credit by which Russia helped Serbia a mid of the global economic crisis.

‘We agreed phase realization of Russian credit worth 800 millions for various projects, mainly in the sphere of railways. We also discussed possibilities for investing in energy sector and overhaul of our energy plants where Russian investors would work independently’, Tadic said. He also said that ‘Serbia is very much interested in export of agricultural products onto the Russian market’.
Serbia President pointed out interest by Serbian construction companies to participate in construction of objects for the Olympic Games and the world football championship.

Serbia President requested from Putin support for the initiative to the UN Security Council over conducting of an independent investigation regarding Dick Marty’s report over human body trade in Kosovo and Metohija.

Russia Prime Minister Vladimir Putin supported dialog between Belgrade and Pristina and promised Russian support to Serbia for successful finalization of that process.

‘We shall support that process and will do our best that Serbian leadership finalize that process successfully. Every talk is better than conflict, that is why we support it’, Russia Prime Minister said.

‘Southern Stream’ gas pipeline to be finished until 2015
The international gas pipeline ‘Southern Stream’ shall be constructed because it is in the interest of Russia and the EU. This was said yesterday at presentation of that large energy project in Belgrade. The gas pipeline shall be finished until December of 2015 while its construction shall begin in 2013.
The stretch running through Serbia shall cost from EUR 1.3 to 1.5 billions.

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By the way, Putin also said that he is not against Serbia entering EU, but is strongly against Serbia entering NATO as that could be seen as threat to Russia itself. One third of all 'the projects' goes for military sector of Serbia. Coincidence?

[Guapo]

Pope is nothing, Putine is everything

[Joe McCarthy]

I suppose this beats Putin's usual practice of bringing booty to various Marxist and Islamist regimes.

[The Journeyman]

Serbia has the potential to become a tiny superpower if Russia and China decide that they need a strong satellite state in Europe. If they can improve Serbia's economy well enough, they might indirectly influence other nations in the region, especially with the recent economic downturn in Europe. The major world entities in the coming decades are going to be China, India and Russia, they might be the economic and political counterweight to eu and the west.

[Joe McCarthy]

The Milosevic regime was rather friendly with the Chicoms, it alienated Europe, and its safe to assume that the more anti-Western Serbs are the more likely they will be to jump in bed with China. For the sake of Europe that better not happen. China will be the new Ottomans, and the Serbs are still living their collaboration with the Turks down. I doubt it'll happen though. Serbia is looking west.

[Osweo]

God damn Premier Lang-tzi-mao Pu-Tang, filling our West with his evil!

[Joe McCarthy]

God damn Premier Lang-tzi-mao Pu-Tang, filling our West with his evil!

Needless to say, the answer to Western travails is not to break bread with China, or enable them or other non-Western-non-white powers to become stronger. That's curing cancer with machinegun therapy.

[Loki]

The Milosevic regime was rather friendly with the Chicoms, it alienated Europe, and its safe to assume that the more anti-Western Serbs are the more likely they will be to jump in bed with China. For the sake of Europe that better not happen. China will be the new Ottomans, and the Serbs are still living their collaboration with the Turks down. I doubt it'll happen though. Serbia is looking west.

I blame the "West" for not embracing Russia when it was still time. They have effectively alienated the biggest European ally. But, Russia will still choose to ally itself with Europe rather than anything else. The West's governments are really short-sighted.

[The Ripper]

The West = American global hegemony and its satellites.

Europeans = those footing the bill of "the West's" wars for global American dominance.

[Joe McCarthy]

The West = American global hegemony and its satellites.

Europeans = those footing the bill of "the West's" wars for global American dominance.

The West is Western Civilization - the historically Catholic and Protestant nations of Europe and their New World offshoots. It takes a particularly fringe and cynical outlook to define it as 'American capitalism and their lackeys'. In fact, that is rather close to the old Soviet view.

In any case, even the way you define it makes it better than China, India, the Third World, Islam, or even Russia for that matter.