Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic

Zrenjanin, September 5, 2001 - Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic on Wednesday, during his visit to Zrenjanin, advocated a wide measure of autonomy for Vojvodina, the roots of which run deep, while municipalities should be returned their full authority.

On his arrival in Zrenjanin this morning Djindjic met with local government and economic leaders. He told the press that a certain level of autonomy should be granted to all regions in Serbia, but most importantly to Vojvodina.

Kasa and Sannino on Vojvodina autonomy

Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Jozef Kasa spoke with head of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) office in Belgrade Stefano Sannino on Vojvodina's autonomy as well as on relations between republican and regional authorities. Kasa told the press that they discussed the current situation in Vojvodina and added that political solutions could be achieved peacefully "with good will and hard work." - Solutions are out there, but the situation must not be resolved in the manner it was in the former SFRY - stressed Kasa. According to Sannino, possibilities for different models of decentralization applied in other parts of Europe were also discussed at the meeting.

He said that Vojvodina was unique and that "the roots of its autonomy run deeper than it is the case with other regions of Serbia."

He stressed that the crucial thing was that Vojvodina municipalities should be given back their full authority, which would allow them to form links with one another "wherever there are natural interests," free from centralized dictate, said Djindjic.

The Serbian Prime Minister pointed out that the examples of Switzerland and Austria were interesting since they have a highly decentralized system of local and regional self-government.