At a regular news conference held to present results of the National Assembly’s activities, the Chairman of the National Assembly, Predrag Markovic, said that the Assembly had continued its legislative duties by passing 31 laws, of which a number regulated fields hitherto not covered by legislation. Mr Markovic reiterated that a set of financial laws to regulate the money market had been adopted. In his words, it was the task of Serbia’s institutions to foster co-operation; as a part of these efforts, the National Bank had passed a number of bylaws, bills entering Assembly procedure had all been submitted, and adopted bills signed into law, in due time; all of this contributed to the implementation of adopted laws. Markovic underlined that future legislation would concern natural resources – a bill to regulate agricultural land has been put on the agenda of the next Assembly sitting – and general civic issues (identity cards, gender equality, protection of rights, and restitution).

Mr Markovic told the news conference that the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia would, at its sitting scheduled for 11.50 on Monday 5 May 2006, adopt a decision allowing Serbia to assume the powers of the former State Union. He underlined that Article 60 of the Constitutional Charter provided for Serbia, as the legal successor of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro, ‘to legally take over what it had been building for decades’ after the independence referendum and the declaration of independence by the Montenegrin parliament. The decision will create preconditions for institutions to take all necessary measures to assume and implement their powers. Mr Markovic also stressed that the National Assembly had hitherto done its job responsibly, and had made it possible, by adopting the recommendation on the use of the coat of arms, flag, and anthem, for Serbia to use its national symbols.

Mr Markovic reiterated that he had spoken with representatives of institutions and parties who, as political entities, need to learn to agree on the adoption of the nation’s fundamental piece of legislation – the constitution – and again said that the public would be informed of the results of these talks in due time.