Mosley eyes F1 future for Serbia
JumpTV, an internet television carrier, reports that FIA president Max Mosley has visited the capital Belgrade and met with Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica about the construction of a circuit.
A statement was reportedly issued in which it was announced that the project would be a collaboration of the Serbian automobile association Auto-moto Savez Srbije (AMSS), which is already a member of F1's Mosley-led governing body.
No other details were outlined, such as whether the circuit would be built specifically for formula one, but local media also reported that the sport's chief executive Bernie Ecclestone visited Serbia last year and also met with Prime Minister Kostunica.
JumpTV quotes Kostunica as praising "the importance of this project for the development of auto racing in Serbia, and for tourism and to promote the country".
Also reportedly discussed by Mosley and Kostunica was the future of Milos Pavlovic, who is Serbia's most prominent racing driver. The 25-year-old is sponsored by the Petroleum Industry of Serbia and the jointly government-owned company Telekom Srbija.
Pavlovic finished the 2007 World Series by Renault in third place.
11/23/07 Max Mosley was in Serbia today to discuss the construction of an international racing circuit in the country. Serbia remains under some international suspicion at the moment because some observers believe that Ratko Mladic and his fellow war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic enjoy the protection of elements with the country's government and security services because they retain much popularity amongst the country's nationalists.
Both men have been indicted by the Yugoslav War Crimes tribunal in The Hague for genocide in connection with incidents during the Bosnian war of 1992-1995 war, including the Srebrenica massacre, in which more than 8000 Bosnian Muslims were killed.
Mosley met with Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica only hours after European Union peacekeepers launched a series of raids to try to capture Karadzic.
Serbia is trying hard to gain acceptance in the international community but its failure to capture Mladic and Karadzic has been a serious problem with its talks to join the European Union. In recent weeks however the chief war crimes prosecutor Carla del Ponte has advised the EU that Serbia is now complying adequately with the tribunal and there is a basis for a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the European Union.
Once the issue of war criminals is out of the way, Serbia's relationship with the world will no doubt change and Kostunica told AFP that "the construction of such a circuit would have great importance for the development of motor sport in Serbia, tourism, and in promoting the country."
The talks with Mosley also included discussions about Serbian driver Milos Pavlovic, who is a frontrunner in the Renault World Series. Grandprix.com