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Serbia prepared to continue talks with EU
Belgrade,
15 June 2006
Director of the Serbian government’s EU Integration Office Tanja Miscevic said today that the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU could be signed by year's end provided that talks with the EU are resumed in September.
Addressing a session of the Serbian parliament's EU Integration Committee, Miscevic stressed that at a session of the EU Council of Ministers, scheduled for July 22, a decision could be brought on Serbia's new mandate for accession talks, since the state union of Serbia-Montenegro has ceased to exist.
"Our country may expect a positive decision if the name "Serbia-Montenegro" is replaced with "Serbia"', said Miscevic. The other possible scenario is that Serbia might not get a new mandate until it fulfils international obligations towards the Hague Tribunal, she added.
Miscevic stressed that Serbia is ready to continue with negotiations at once and that the government has taken all necessary measures to transfer the state union institutions to the republic level.
The SAA could be signed by year's end if talks are resumed in September, said Miscevic and warned that postponing the talks means postponing the signing of the SAA until next year.
"It was not the talks between Serbia and EU that were suspended or cancelled, but only the negotiating rounds, which does not mean that the EU integration process was halted", explained Miscevic.
"We are working on the priorities stated by the European partnership and these are judiciary and public administration reform, setting up democratic control over the army, full cooperation with the Tribunal and opening the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina", she said.
According to Miscevic, the Enhanced Permanent Dialogue held sectoral meetings in the past month which dealt with market and trade-related issues, economy and the presentation of a new Instrument for Preaccession Assistance (IPA), which is a programme for financial assistance to countries in the EU accession process.
Miscevic added that preparations for talks on a visa facilitation regime are also underway, and the talks could begin by end-year.
"Our country may expect a positive decision if the name "Serbia-Montenegro" is replaced with "Serbia"', said Miscevic. The other possible scenario is that Serbia might not get a new mandate until it fulfils international obligations towards the Hague Tribunal, she added.
Miscevic stressed that Serbia is ready to continue with negotiations at once and that the government has taken all necessary measures to transfer the state union institutions to the republic level.
The SAA could be signed by year's end if talks are resumed in September, said Miscevic and warned that postponing the talks means postponing the signing of the SAA until next year.
"It was not the talks between Serbia and EU that were suspended or cancelled, but only the negotiating rounds, which does not mean that the EU integration process was halted", explained Miscevic.
"We are working on the priorities stated by the European partnership and these are judiciary and public administration reform, setting up democratic control over the army, full cooperation with the Tribunal and opening the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina", she said.
According to Miscevic, the Enhanced Permanent Dialogue held sectoral meetings in the past month which dealt with market and trade-related issues, economy and the presentation of a new Instrument for Preaccession Assistance (IPA), which is a programme for financial assistance to countries in the EU accession process.
Miscevic added that preparations for talks on a visa facilitation regime are also underway, and the talks could begin by end-year.
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