Head of OSCE Mission to Serbia expresses support for the work of new anti-corruption agency

BELGRADE, 30 July 2009 - The Serbian Anti-Corruption Agency and the OSCE Mission to Serbia discussed ways to co-operate during a meeting yesterday between the Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, Ambassador Hans Ola Urstad, and the Agency Director, Zorana Markovic.

The Anti-Corruption Agency is the first independent institution in Serbia tasked with fighting corruption in all areas and at all levels.

"The Agency can play a very positive role, but as a new institution, it needs adequate support from other state institutions, including material and financial resources, to become fully operational," Urstad said after the meeting.

"The OSCE Mission is ready to work closely with the Agency now and in the future. The fight against corruption is one of the priorities of the OSCE Mission to Serbia."

Markovic said the OSCE Mission and the Agency had agreed to co-operate to prevent conflict of interest, to ensure transparent financing of political parties and to establish integrity plans that contain legal and practical measures for the institutional fight against corruption.

The Anti-corruption Agency Law foresees that the Agency should be fully operational from 1 January 2010. Its key mission will be to supervise the implementation of the National Strategy for Combating Corruption and a related Action Plan. It will report to the Serbian Parliament each year.