Macut: Timing of elections a matter of judgement, no need to rush

BELGRADE - Serbian PM Djuro Macut said on Friday the timing of early parliamentary elections in the country was a matter of judgement, but that he believed there was no great need to rush.

Macut noted that his government would continue to work in its full capacity and would be fully at the parliament's disposal.

"The government will continue to work in its full capacity and on a very day-to-day basis, and there is no doubt about that. For anything else that is required, the government will be at the parliament's disposal, throughout the upcoming pre-election cycle. Whether the elections will be held sooner or later, that is just a matter of judgement, but I think that, at this time, we have no great need to rush when it comes to that issue," Macut said in an appearance on the RTS when asked if he was ready for the government to remain in office, or for a potential dissolution of the parliament and subsequent elections.

He said a motion for a no-confidence vote on the government had been tabled to the parliament based on events that had not taken place during the term of his cabinet.

"I think that can only be detrimental and that that political spin can only distract attention from the main things, but that also destabilises our ranking in the international community," Macut said.

Macut: MOL's proposal not acceptable to Serbia, we will not cross red lines

BELGRADE - Commenting on Serbia's dissatisfaction with a proposal by Hungary's MOL in talks on its acquisition of a Russian-majority stake in the Serbian oil company NIS, Serbian PM Djuro Macut said on Friday he completely understood MOL's need to secure the best possible position in a deal, but noted that it could not be at Serbia's expense.

"The proposal submitted by MOL is not fully acceptable to us. There is a need to correct that, above all, when it comes to stability of our market and supply. Therefore, our refinery must operate. Those are the fundamental demands - that the Serbian market is fully supplied with derivatives, that there is a constancy in that and that there are guarantees that, in every sense, Serbia is primary in decision-making on what that company will be producing and what its distribution will be like," Macut said.

He said those were the fundamental matters that were being discussed and "definitely, red lines that cannot be crossed."

"Therefore, if we have an oil company that is in Serbian territory and is our national company as it has always been, Serbia certainly must be a partner in such discussions," Macut said.