The Hague Tribunal has acquitted former Chief of the General Staff of the Yugoslav Army General Momčilo Perišić of all charges for crimes in Bosnia and Croatia.

The Hague Tribunal Appeals Chamber ordered that Perišić, who was originally sentenced to 27 years in prison, be released immediately.

This is the final verdict in the case against Perišić.

He was sentenced to 27 years in prison in September 2011. Perišić was originally found guilty aiding and abetting crimes committed in Zagreb and Bosnia-Herzegovina between 1993 and 1995.

The initial verdict was adopted with the majority of votes of French and Argentinean judges Michele Picard and Pedro David. South African judge Bakone Moloto had an opposing opinion and believed Perišić should have been acquitted.

The Serbian authorities were not particularly interested in Perišić’s trial even though it was one of the most important cases in the Hague Tribunal.

Hague Tribunal President Theodor Meron announced the final verdict on Thursday.

Perišić’s defense requested from the court to quash the initial sentence because it has not been proven that the Republic of Srpska Army (VRS) supported the crimes.

The key argument of the defense’s appeal was Moloto’s ascertainment that waging a war was not a crime.

Perišić voluntarily surrendered himself to the Hague Tribunal on March 7, 2005. His trial started on October 2, 2008 and he pleaded not guilty to all counts of the indictment.

source: b92 news

A new border crossing, Backi Vinogradi-Asott Halom, between Serbia and Hungary will be opened in the next two months, Serbia's state secretaries for the interior Vladimir Bozovic and Vanja Vukic agreed with Hungary's State Secretary Peter Siyarto on Friday.

The three agreed the new crossing should be opened because of the number of people and the quantity of merchandise going across the border, and that the capacity of the old Horgos-Roszke and three other crossings would be increased.

Vukic, Bozovic and Siyarto discussed also the possibility of opening another crossing, Bacsszentgyorgy-Rastina.

The two countries' relations are improving and the already good cooperation between their border police forces should be improved further, they said. The Serbian officials agreed with their Hungarian colleague it was in the interest of both countries to improve the efforts against cross-border crime and prevention of illegal migration.

source: tanjug

The World Bank is prepared to assist the development of Serbia's economy to speed up the cuntry's EU integration, World Bank Director for Southeastern Europe Ellen Goldstein said at a meeting with Serbia's Prime Minister Ivica Dacic on Tuesday.

It was agreed to come up with a partnership strategy between Serbia and the World Bank in order to stimulate export and improve the investment climate in the country, the government office for relations with the media said.

The World Bank is prepared to support projects in infrastructure, energy, agriculture and healthcare, and assist in financial and technical expert analyses during Serbia's EU integration, the two officials concluded.

Ministers of the Interior of Serbia, Hungary and Austria, Ivica Dacic, Sandor Pinter and Johanna Mikl-Leitner, respectively, will sign a memorandum of understanding in the field of internal affairs in Belgrade on Wednesday.

Dacic and Pinter will also sign a Protocol on joint patrols along the border, and a meeting will also be held between Hungary's and Serbia's delegations. The ceremony of signing of the Memorandum of Understanding and the Protocol on joint patrols along the border will be held at the Palace of Serbia, the Serbian Interior Ministry has said in a release.

source: tanjug

American actor Michael Madsen opened the 41st International Film Festival FEST in Belgrade on Friday evening.

He was welcomed by a large audience that gathered for the start of the festival.

They will be able to see Madsen on screen on Saturday in Along the Roadside, directed by Zoran Lisinac and produced by Vladimir Lisinac, two Serbian brothers building their careers in the U.S.

The festival's main program at Centar Sava began with Love, by Michael Haneke, which won Palme d'Or at the Cannes Festival.

By March 3, 75 films from around the world will be screened as parts of different programs.

The premiere of Goran Marković's Falsifier is scheduled to close the festival.

source: tanjug