New Beginning in 2000-2003

 

Year 2000

October 5th  - at the constitutional session, Milan St. Protić was elected new Chairman of the Assembly of the City of Belgrade.

October 7th  - Dr Vojislav Koštunica took his oath of office of the President before the MPs of the Federal Parliament as the first democratic President of Yugoslavia. The constitutional session of the Parliament was held in the Sava Center due to the damages of the Parliament building during the clashes between the police and the citizens on October 5.

October 9th  - Heads of the diplomatic missions of the European Union, at the summit in Luxemburg, brought the decision to lift the embargo on import of crude oil and on the air-traffic with Serbia and lifted all the sanctions against FRY imposed as of 1998.

October 12th  - The US President Bill Clinton lifted the US sanctions against Yugoslavia and initiated the process of resuming of the diplomatic relations between the two countries.

October 24th  - The Transitional Government of Serbia was formed, which was composed of the representatives of the Democratic Opposition of Serbia, the Socialist Party of Serbia, and the Serbian Renewal Movement. The Serbian Radical Party did not wish to take part in such a government. The Transitional Government was supposed to ensure running of the country up to the snap Republic Parliamentary elections scheduled for December 23rd. The Prime Minister of the Transitional Government was Milomir Minić, and the Deputy Prime Ministers Spasoje Krunić (SPO) and Nebojša Čović (DA).

October 26th  - The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was admitted in the membership of the Stability Pact for the South Eastern Europe. All the member states participating at the gathering in Budapest seconded the motion of the Coordinator of the Pact Bodo Hombach that Yugoslavia be admitted in full membership.

November 11th  - The Standing Council of the Organization of European Security and Co-operation (OEBS) admitted, by a unanimous decision, the FR of Yugoslavia in its membership.

December 15th  - Dinar established its resident convertibility again.

Year 2001

January 11th  - The Standing Council of the Organization of European Security and Co-operation brought the decision to set up a mission of OEBS in FRY.

January 19th  - The US President Bill Clinton brought the decision about lifting of the external wall of sanctions against the FR of Yugoslavia.

January 22nd  - The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe granted to the FR of Yugoslavia to have the status of a special guest.

January 22nd – A new Parliament of the Republic of Serbia was constituted in which the Democratic Opposition of Serbia had 176 out of a total of 250 MPs. The up to then ruling Socialist Party of Serbia won 37, the Serbian Radical Party 23, and the Party of the Serbian Unity 14 MP mandates.

January 25th - Serbia got its first democratic government. Dr Zoran Đinđić, the President of the Democratic Party, became the Prime Minister of the new Government.

February 8th  - The FR of Yugoslavia achieved the observer status in the World Trade Organization.

February 15th – After two years, with the exchange of ambassadors, the diplomatic relations between the USA and FRY were formally resumed as well. The up to then Mayor of Belgrade, Milan St. Protić was appointed the ambassador of FR of Yugoslavia to Washington.

February 26th  - The Council of Ministers of the European Union brought the decision to lift all the sanctions against the FR of Yugoslavia imposed in 1998, except for those that are related to the former President Slobodan Milošević and his close associates.

February 27th  - Both houses of the Parliament of the FR of Yugoslavia rescinded the Decree that the citizenship be withdrawn from the Royal Karađorđević family and their property confiscated, dated 1947.

March 16th - The offices of OEBS and the Council of Europe were opened in Belgrade. Stefano Sanino was nominated head of OEBS mission in FRY.

April 1st  - The former President of Serbia and the FR of Yugoslavia Slobodan Milošević was arrested under the suspicion of abuse of office. The arrest was initiated on March 30, and it was finalized two days later, after seven hours of negotiations about his turning in. The arrest had been preceded by day-and-night vigils of the followers and sympathisers of the Socialist Party of Serbia and the Yugoslav Left in front of the house in which Milošević stayed.

May 8th – The FR of Yugoslavia was admitted in full membership of the World Bank.

June 16th  - The President of Russia Vladimir Putin paid the first visit as a head of the Russian state to the FR of Yugoslavia.

Jun 23rd  - The Federal Government adopted the Ordinance on Cooperation with the Hague Tribunal.

June 28th   - The former President of FRY Slobodan Milošević was handed over to the Tribunal in the Hague on the basis of the Ordnance of the Government of Serbia.

June 29th  - At the donor conference for Yugoslavia, held in Brussels, one billion and 280 million Dollars of aid was collected for FRY.

July 12th  - By the Decision of the Federal Government, the Karađorđević family was given the right to usufruct the palace complex in Dedinje.

September 24th  - The FR of Yugoslavia was readmitted in Interpol.

September 25th  - FR Yugoslavia admitted in membership of the World Trade Organization.

November 2nd  - After more than half a century, religious instruction was instituted again in the schools in Serbia.

November 9th  - The units for special operations of the MIA of Serbia, better known as the "Red Berets" protested on a section of the highway nearby Belgrade.

November 16th  - The Paris Club wrote-off 66 percent of the debt of the FR of Yugoslavia.

December 7th  - The President of France, Jacques Chirac made a two-days visit to the FR of Yugoslavia.

Year 2002

March 14th  - The agreement "Groundwork for Reconsolidation of the Relationships between Serbia and Montenegro" was signed in Belgrade. The Agreement was signed by the President of FRY Vojislav Koštunica, the President of Montenegro Milo Đukanović, the Vice-President of the Federal Government Miroljub Labus, the Prime Ministers of the two Republics Zoran Đinđić and Filip Vujanović, and the High Commissioner of the EU Xavier Solana. According to that Agreement, the name of the future State Union will be Serbia and Montenegro.

March 22nd  - The International Monetary Fund extended to Yugoslavia a credit of 800 million Dollars.

April 10th  - The Law on Cooperation of Yugoslavia with the Hague Tribunal was adopted in the Parliament of FRY, which implies handing over of the Yugoslav citizens charged with the war crimes to that Tribunal.

May 15th  - The National Bank of Yugoslavia issued the statement that Dinar became convertible in all current international transactions, for the first time since 1946, when the former Yugoslavia became a member of IMF.

November 19th  - The UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, within his Balkan tour, visited Belgrade.

December 6th  - After several months of concepting it, the Constitutional Commission unanimously adopted the Constitutional Charter of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro in Belgrade.

Year 2003

March 12th – The Prime Minister of the Government of Serbia Dr Zoran Đinđić was assassinated. The state of emergency was declared in the territory of the Republic of Serbia.

April 3rd  - The State Union of Serbia and Montenegro was admitted in the Council of Europe.