At the sitting held on 14 April, the Committee on Defense and Security considered the Activity Report of the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Serbia on security conditions in the Republic of Serbia in 2008. Minister of Interior Ivica Dacic participated in the Committee’s activities, and the sitting was attended by the highest officials of the Ministry of Interior.

At the beginning of the sitting, the Committee members, representatives of the Ministry of Interior and present journalists honoured the tragically slain policeman Vladimir Grandic by a minute of silence.

Presenting the Ministry’s 2008 Activity Report to the Committee members, Minister Dacic stated that in the previous year the Ministry of Interior had efficiently responded to the serious security challenges and risks and fully contributed to establish and keep the stable ambient of security in Serbia.

The efforts to preserve stability were additionally burdened by the events concerning the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo, Dacic said adding that the previous year saw the continuation of the efficient fight against organised crime, and that the fight against corruption and against human trafficking and smuggling, as well as suppression of organised crime, gave notable results. He announced a more decisive combat against all types of organised crime and appealed for better cooperation between the police and the public. Talking about traffic safety, the Minister of Interior noted the presence of positive trends of decrease in the number of traffic accidents and casualties. He also said that the issuance of new biometric documents has commenced and stressed that all laws necessary for Serbia’s placement onto the white Schengen list had been passed and that visa liberalisation can be surely expected.

In the discussion, the Committee members asked Minister Dacic various question regarding police reform, staff issues and financial situation of MUP employees, issuance of biometric passports and security conditions in Kosovo-Metohija. They were also interested in shedding light on the death of Ranko Pantic, participant of the Serbian Radical Party rally and Djordje Zaric, killed by a policeman in late March in New Belgrade, as well as the murders of journalists Slavko Curuvija and Milan Pantic. Minister Dacic stressed that no policeman is above the law and that everyone who oversteps authority must be held accountable. He repeated that the police will not shield anyone in the fight against organised crime and that society must lend the police full support in the fight.

The Committee unanimously adopted the Activity Report of the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Serbia on security conditions in the Republic of Serbia in 2008.

The sitting was chaired by the Committee Chairman, Dragan Todorovic.