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Jeremic invites EU mission to Serbia

Belgrade/Brussels, 26 January 2009

Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic today invited the EU to send a mission to Serbia and receive assurances that the country is cooperating with the Hague tribunal and reiterated that the government's strategic goal in 2009 is progress towards EU integration.

From left: Vuk Jeremic, Karel Schwarzenberg and Olli Rehn

Author: Fonet

In a joint press conference with EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn and Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, Jeremic said that the proposal is not just for Holland but for all 27 EU members.

There is no question within the Serbian government that full cooperation with The Hague is a priority.

After meeting with ministers from Great Britain, Germany, Romania and other EU countries in Brussels earlier today, Jeremic said that he had received confirmation of the EU's readiness to help Serbia achieve its goal of becoming a candidate for EU membership by the end of 2009.

Rehn reiterated the Union's strong support for Serbia's European future and announced the visit of an expert group to Belgrade regarding visa liberalisation. I agreed with Minister Jeremic, this year can be very important for our relationship, said Rehn.

The next step on Serbia's EU integration road is application and ratification of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, before which the well-known conditions will be met.

I hope there will be good news regarding visa liberalisation as I know how important it is for Serbian citizens, Rehn said.

He commented on the recent gas crisis by saying that the help some EU countries sent to Serbia is evidence that in a way they already regard Serbia part of the European club.

Schwarzenberg pointed out that the EU is ready to have close ties with Serbia in all aspects.

We met with our Serbian partners to discuss several topics and exchange views regarding the security situation in Serbia, the ties between the Union and Serbia, development policy and energy self-sufficiency in the region, he told a press conference.

We think that both Serbia and the EU are ready to implement the Transitional Agreement, as soon as full cooperation with the Hague tribunal is fulfilled, the Czech Foreign Minister said.

He said he hopes progress will be made in cooperation between the EU and Serbia, which will bring stability and a European future for the whole region.