At the sitting held on 24 October, the Committee on Defence and Security discussed the Activity Report of the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Serbia and the state of security in the Republic of Serbia in the period from 1 June 2006 to 30 September 2007. The sitting was chaired by the Committee Chairman, Ivica Dacic, and attended by the Minister of Interior, Dragan Jocic and associates.

At the beginning of the presentation of the Report, Minister Jocic stressed that Serbia owes its good state of security to the Ministry’s work, and that compared to the previous period personal and property security of the citizens have been increased. According to the Minister, the state of security in the Southern parts of Serbia is stable, but still complicated and suitable antiterrorist police and gandarmerie measures are taken in the area in cooperation with the Military of Serbia. Jocic added that the state of security is directly contingent on the issue of resolving the status of Kosovo-Metohia.

Minister Jocic went on to emphasise that in the period in question the Ministry had undertaken successful actions on fighting major crimes in the Republic of Serbia, especially in the area of financial crime where corruption is the most important concurrent element. The Minister paid special attention to the results achieved in the cases of fighting crime in the areas of insurance, cigarette smuggling, cases of “bankruptcy mafia”, forgery of money and securities, prevention of corruption, seizure of narcotics, prevention of human trafficking, organised property and high-technology crimes.

The Ministry of Interior has been undertaking antiterrorist measures on the territory of the Republic of Serbia in the Raska area and the zone of land security.

Minister Jocic stressed that the Ministry’s priorities in the upcoming period are the continuation of the battle against organized and all other forms of crime, safety of the citizens and their property, concluding the cooperation with the Hague Tribunal and legislative activity.

During the debate the Committee members exchanged opinions on the Ministry’s Report and posed questions to the Minister, after which the Committee accepted the Report.