Serbia: Agreement on Moscow's aid to refugees from Kosovo signed

Government of Serbia, 30 May 2005

Belgrade, May 30, 2005 - Serbian Minister of International Economic Relations Milan Parivodic and head of the Directorate for Construction Policy, Development and Reconstruction of the City of Moscow Konstantin Korolievski signed today a $2 million agreement on aid to refugees and displaced persons from Kosovo-Metohija.

Speaking at a press conference held after the signing ceremony, attended by head of the Directorate's Department for Asia, Africa and Southeastern Europe Nikolay Vasilevich Alekseyev and head of the Coordinating Centre Nebojsa Covic, Parivodic welcomed the signing of the agreement through which the government of Moscow, led by Mayor Jurij Luzhkov, will assist in the construction of 75 houses for the displaced from Kosovo-Metohija.

The Minister thanked the Moscow Mayor and the Russian people for helping Serbia in these difficult times. He also thanked head of the Coordinating Centre Nebojsa Covic for all his efforts and congratulated him on the speech he gave at the session of the UN Security Council, describing it as one of the most persuasive talks in the interest of the Serbian people living in Kosovo.

Covic specified that the funds will be used for reconstruction of 50 houses in Istok and 25 in Djurakovac. He added that this will be the first attempt to bring back about 75 Serbian families to urban parts of Kosovo-Metohija.

Head of the Coordinating Centre's Return Department Vladimir Cucic said that along with the realisation of the project, the Coordinating Centre will file a request that at least 200 apartments in Istok that have been illegally occupied be emptied, which will enable a more massive return of the displaced to the city centre in next few months.