First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Ivica Dacic said today that during the last three years 3.2 million biometric passports were issued and that world experts describe Serbian passports as one of the safest in Europe.

Dacic said after meeting with Governor of the National Bank of Serbia (NBS) Dejan Soskic that the Serbian Institute for Manufacturing Banknotes (ZIN), which operates as part of the NBS, should also take credit for this well-done job.

He stated that approximately three million new ID cards were issued and announced the possibility of issuing ID cards that can be used instead of passports in the years to come.

He explained that this is a proposal of Germany, that the chip in such ID cards should contain all the relevant information for identification, like passports.

Dacic stressed that good cooperation between the Ministry of the Interior and ZIN should be continued because there is still plenty of work to be done regarding new transport documents, license plates and driving licenses.

The First Deputy Prime Minister recalled that the current driving licences can be used until their expiry date or by 2014 at the latest.