Representatives of the Council of Europe, PACO Impact, renowned experts, consultants, and officers from the regional countries (Albania, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia and Former Yugoslav Republic Macedonia) were also present. Vice-President of the Council, Mr. Ivan M. Lalic, spoke of the anti corruption activities in the Republic of Serbia.

Ms Verica Barac, President of the Council gave her comment on the conference:

"Aside from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia represents the only country in the region without adopted nacional anti corruption strategy, and state institution in charge of the anti corruption activites. On the basis of the attitude of the Council of Europe's representatives and other participants towards the problems of Serbia, it appears that our Government, i.e. country, is not adequatly represented, and that the neccessary relationship and trust beetwen the repersentatives of the Council of Europe, leading this projects, is not established. Albania is regarded as a country well advanced in the anti corruption strategy. Macedonia and Croatia receive nothing but credits, even Montenegro, without a real progress in the anti corruption struggle, has an adopted strategy and representatives who established firm relationship with the representatives of the Council of Europe.

No one was familiar with the efforts made by our Government, i.e. anti corruption laws adopted in the past period ( Law on Public Procurement, Law on Financing of political parties, Law on Conflict of interst, as well as ammendemnts to other laws closely connected with the anti corruption struggle), their implementation, impacts, or failures, nor was anyone in possition to hear anything, because the representative of our Governement in this project, Ms Aleksandra Popovic, assistant to the Minister of Justice, and PACO director for our country, failed to address the meeting and advise on Government's anti corruption acctivities in the past period. It was also surprising that she did not take the floor at the end of the Conference, introducing Government's intentions in the future, particularly elaboration of the national anti corruption strategy and help we expect from the Council of Europe within this project. Instead, Ms Silvia Panovic Djurovic from the Office of the Council of Europe in Belgrade, reported on her behalf.

Anti - Corruption Council belives that participation in the Council of Europe anti corruption projects is of extreme importance for our country and that representative of the Government should be a highly competent and experienced person, and decidedly interested in the matter. Present representative of the Government is obviously neither, which is why the image of our country and all its efforts in the matter appear to be worse than they actualy are.

It is also necessary to start the elaboration of the national anti corruption strategy as soon as possible and advise the PACO project directors. It would be recommendable that the Prime Minister acts as an official project director of the elaboration of the national strategy, and that, upon adoption, Government forwards the document to the Parlament for its adoption.

Apart from the representatives from the state institutions, as suggested by the Ministry of Justice, experts in this field should be included in the elaboration of the strategy as well."

15 June 2004