First delivery of Euro currency to Belgrade Airport..

(4 Dec 2001)
1. Midshot policemen with guard dogs at Belgrade Surcin airport
2. Close up police dog
3. Various journalists at the Belgrade airport waiting for the arrival of the plane carrying the money
4. Close up poster reading "Euro - new mark for Europe"
5. Close up poster with new euro bank notes
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Olivera Ilincic, head of Foreign Exchange Department,Yugoslav National Bank:
"Yugoslavia or the National Bank of Yugoslavia is completely ready for euro change over."
7. Cutaway euro bank notes
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Olivera Ilincic, head of Foreign Exchange department in the Yugoslav National Bank :
"The National Bank of Yugoslavia fulfilled all criteria from European Central Bank for euro cash change over. We provide all Yugoslav commercial banks with euro cash and Yugoslav exchange offices completely."
9. Austrian Airlines Airplane taxiing on the tarmac
10. Plane parked on the tarmac
11. Workers unloading crates with money from the plane
12. Various shots of the crates being unloaded
13. Convoy of armoured cars escorted by police cars on the highway leading from the airport to the city of Belgrade
14. Police helicopters flying above the convoy
STORYLINE:
Preparing for the coming EU switch to the single currency, Yugoslavia imported Tuesday millions of euros in cash to start replacing own reserves of the 12 outgoing European currencies that have served here for years as a substitute for notoriously unstable Yugoslav dinar.
A special Austrian Airlines flight brought crates full of euro bank notes as the first shipment to the Yugoslav National Bank.
Under heavy security, complete with police helicopters hovering and following the convoy of armoured trucks escorted by police cars, the shipment was transferred to the National Bank in downtown Belgrade.
Olivera Ilincic, head of Foreign Exchange department in the Yugoslav National Bank told APTN that the country is completely ready for the euro change over.
The National Bank will provide enough cash for 2,500 commercial banks and exchange offices throughout the country.
The German mark served as a parallel currency and safe haven from inflation for family savings in Yugoslavia.
Yugoslav officials hope that the euro switch over will help bring the money from the grey zones of the economy back to the regular financial institutions.
They also hope the country's entrepreneurs and shoppers will adjust to the new currency after years of black-market money changing hands during the past decade of inflation.
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