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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

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Austria fully supports Serbia’s efforts to hasten EU membership drive

Vienna, 4 July 2007

Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vuk Jeremic said today in Vienna after a meeting with Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ursula Plasnik that he got Austria’s full support in Serbia’s efforts on its road toward the EU.

Vuk Jeremic, left, and Ursula Plasnik

Author: Fonet

Jeremic told news agency Tanjug that now when Serbia is again in the Stabilisation and Association process, he seeks further Austrian support to speed up that process.

He explained that this refers to political support that negotiations on Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) complete on time so that this document could be signed by the end of the year and that Serbia could get candidate membership status by the end of 2008.

The Minister recalled that Austria was among the countries that supported Serbia on its European road and one of the most vocal supporters of continuation of SAA talks.

Jeremic expressed satisfaction with the meeting with Plasnik and added that the issue of the future status of Kosovo-Metohija, which is the biggest challenge for the Western Balkans, was also discussed.

Plasnik said that Austria will insist on a UN Security Council resolution and European unity about this issue.

Jeremic said that everything in the Kosovo status settlement must get support in the UN Security Council and that Serbia is ready to continue searching for a solution.

Serbia naturally cannot and will never be ready to give up its sovereignty and territorial integrity, but is ready to consider absolutely every legitimate modality of local self-government for Kosovo Albanians, the Minister said.

He also noted that during the talks with Plasnik, bilateral economic cooperation between the two countries were considered as well as possibilities of Austrian investment in Serbia and possibilities of Serbian capital entering the Austrian market.

We spoke about security in the region and Austria expressed the wish to host a conference on security issues in the Balkans, Jeremic said noting that Serbia is generally ready to take part in such a conference.

Today in Vienna Jeremic also talked with Austrian President Heinz Fischer and President of the National Council of the Austrian parliament Barbara Prammer.