Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic said today that the proposed resolution on Kosovo-Metohija does not mean that Serbia is giving up the struggle to protect its territorial integrity, or the path towards Europe.
Bozidar Djelic
In a statement to the news agency Beta, Djelic said that Serbia will be part of Europe and Kosovo-Metohija will remain within Serbia’s borders. He reiterated that Serbia’s chief priorities are both the south Serbian province and a European future.
He explained that due to this it is expected that by the end of January next year Serbia will sign the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU which will serve to stabilise the country, and added that only a stable and strong Serbia can defend its territorial integrity.
The SAA is of key importance for Serbia to achieve its goal, and that is to become an economic leader in the Balkans and a pillar of stability in the region. Today Serbia needs friends and cooperation with Europe more than ever and this is in the interest of its citizens, said Djelic.
The Serbian Deputy Prime Minister said that after signing the SAA with the EU, Serbia’s next goal is to acquire candidate status by the end of 2008.