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Political agreement with EU great step forward for Serbia
Belgrade,
4 February 2008
Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic voiced hope today that the Serbian government will authorise him to sign the political agreement on cooperation with the EU on February 7 in Brussels.
Bozidar Djelic at today's press conference
Djelic told a press conference that he believes that the Serbian government will accept this agreement.
After citizens voted to turn towards Europe at the referendum, no politician can prevent their will being exercised, and that is to sign the agreement and enter the EU. That is why I believe that I will sign it on February 7, he said. Since citizens showed at the referendum that they want a European future and President Boris Tadic decidedly rejected the enforcement of any kind of conditions on a European future, any refusal to sign the agreement would go against the will of the citizens and that is not possible, Djelic underlined.
He added that he is also not sure whether the political agreement with the EU should be initialled in the Serbian parliament after it is signed.
The question arises whether the agreement should go to parliament for ratification or not, since only those agreements which contain certain obligations for the country are ratified in parliament, and this agreement only provides benefits, explained Djelic.
He said that there is no case for opposition to the agreement because it is in perfect harmony with the Serbian parliament’s latest resolution concerning Kosovo-Metohija.
Djelic said that the political agreement which was offered by the EU Council of Ministers to Serbia on January 28 contains four key elements: all EU countries confirmed that Serbia is guaranteed EU membership, that EU members guarantee dialogue on visa abolition for Serbian citizens, a planned increase in the number of students who will be able to study in the EU, and confirmation that a Serbian and EU working group will be formed.
According to Djelic, the first element is indeed of “historical importance” because for the first time an international agreement has guaranteed that Serbia will get EU membership.
Talking about the postponement of the signing of the SAA with the EU, Djelic said that Serbia will sign the SAA as soon as it successfully concludes cooperation with The Hague, which, as he said, is the only condition.
I do not wish to speculate on dates, but the elections on Sunday clearly showed the European orientation of the people and given that relevant departments should resolve this issue, so that we can achieve what the people have voted for. We got valid authorisation in December last year, and until the government makes a decision to the contrary, which it will not, I will sign that agreement, said Djelic.
After citizens voted to turn towards Europe at the referendum, no politician can prevent their will being exercised, and that is to sign the agreement and enter the EU. That is why I believe that I will sign it on February 7, he said. Since citizens showed at the referendum that they want a European future and President Boris Tadic decidedly rejected the enforcement of any kind of conditions on a European future, any refusal to sign the agreement would go against the will of the citizens and that is not possible, Djelic underlined.
He added that he is also not sure whether the political agreement with the EU should be initialled in the Serbian parliament after it is signed.
The question arises whether the agreement should go to parliament for ratification or not, since only those agreements which contain certain obligations for the country are ratified in parliament, and this agreement only provides benefits, explained Djelic.
He said that there is no case for opposition to the agreement because it is in perfect harmony with the Serbian parliament’s latest resolution concerning Kosovo-Metohija.
Djelic said that the political agreement which was offered by the EU Council of Ministers to Serbia on January 28 contains four key elements: all EU countries confirmed that Serbia is guaranteed EU membership, that EU members guarantee dialogue on visa abolition for Serbian citizens, a planned increase in the number of students who will be able to study in the EU, and confirmation that a Serbian and EU working group will be formed.
According to Djelic, the first element is indeed of “historical importance” because for the first time an international agreement has guaranteed that Serbia will get EU membership.
Talking about the postponement of the signing of the SAA with the EU, Djelic said that Serbia will sign the SAA as soon as it successfully concludes cooperation with The Hague, which, as he said, is the only condition.
I do not wish to speculate on dates, but the elections on Sunday clearly showed the European orientation of the people and given that relevant departments should resolve this issue, so that we can achieve what the people have voted for. We got valid authorisation in December last year, and until the government makes a decision to the contrary, which it will not, I will sign that agreement, said Djelic.
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