(2 May 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Belgrade – 2 May 2024
1. Parliament in session
2. New Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic, left, taking oath
3. Vucevic taking oath
4. Various of former intelligence chief, now vice premier Aleksandar Vulin taking oath
5. Vucevic, centre, being congratulated by Serbian Assembly President Ana Brnabic
6. New government ministers lined up in parliament
7. Vulin being congratulated
8. Various of parliament as new government is sworn in
9. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, centre, at session
10. Session coming to an end
11. Opposition lawmakers, including Green Left Front member Radomir Lazovic, protesting session
12. SOUNDBITE (Serbian) Radomir Lazovic, opposition lawmaker:
"This government is one of continuity of harmful decisions. We live in a country where the consequences of the Serbian Progressive Party holding power for 13 years have been the doubling of public debt, 400,000 people who moved out of Serbia, 15,000 people a year die from air pollution, with billions being spent on medical treatment of people with respiratory problems. We are a country with one of the largest economic inequalities in Europe. Simply, those are the dreary facts that haven’t been addressed either by the prime minister or any of his cabinet.”
13. Lazovic during session
14. SOUNDBITE (Serbian) Radomir Lazovic, opposition lawmaker:
"It’s clear that these individuals shouldn’t be part of the government, not just because they are blacklisted, but because their harmful behaviour has hurt the citizens of Serbia. That is the key, If we take Vulin, that man doesn’t deserve this, he isn’t worthy of being a cabinet minister and have a leadership position."
15. Parliament in session
16. Vucevic and Brnabic clapping and then being greeted during session
STORYLINE:
Serbian lawmakers on Thursday voted into office a new government that reinstated two pro-Russia officials who are sanctioned by the United States, reflecting persistent close ties with Moscow despite the Balkan nation’s proclaimed bid to join the European Union.
Prime Minister Miloš Vučević’s government got backing in a 152-61 vote in the 250-member parliament.
The remaining 37 lawmakers were absent.
The government includes former intelligence chief Aleksandar Vulin, who has made several visits to Russia in recent months, as one of several vice-premiers, along with Nenad Popović, another Russia supporter who has faced U.S. sanctions.
Former Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic, also a pro-Russia politician, will be in charge of the Interior Ministry in the new Cabinet.
The vote followed a heated two-day debate.
The ruling right-wing Serbian Progressive Party of President Aleksandar Vucic holds a comfortable majority after a election in December that fuelled political tensions because of reports of widespread irregularities.
The increasingly authoritarian Vučić has refused to join Western sanctions against Moscow over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, though Serbia has condemned the aggression.
The U.S. imposed sanctions on Vulin in July, accusing him of involvement in illegal arms shipments, drug trafficking and misuse of public office.
The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said that Vulin used his public authority to help a U.S.-sanctioned Serbian arms dealer move illegal arms shipments across Serbia’s borders.
Vulin is also accused of involvement in a drug trafficking ring, according to U.S. authorities.
Vulin is also accused of involvement in a drug trafficking ring, according to US authorities.
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