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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

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Serbia might achieve EU candidate status in 2009

Belgrade/Brussels, 3 September 2008

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso stated today after meeting with Serbian President Boris Tadic that the Commission thinks Serbia should be given the green light to implement the Transitional Agreement and that if Serbia meets all necessary conditions, it could achieve candidate status in 2009.

Author: Fonet

Barroso told a press conference that the EU should acknowledge the importance of the steps Serbia took when arresting Radovan Karadzic and added that Union members will continue to discuss this issue and that the decision is in their hands.

The steps Serbia has taken should be acknowledged through implementation of the Transitional Agreement, Barroso said noting that the EU should respect the new government’s move which came immediately after its appointment in what was a tense political situation.

The EU Council of Ministers must first establish whether Serbia has done enough in cooperation with the Hague tribunal to initiate implementation of the Transitional Agreement, he said.

In any case, Serbia cannot submit the candidature request before a positive decision from the Council on ratification of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) and implementation of the Transitional Agreement, Barroso noted.

He hailed the fact that President Tadic’s top priority is European integration, noting that the European Commission wants to help this become a reality.

For this to happen, the new government and the new parliament must work together on speeding up the reform agenda. A national consensus on European integration is very important for the acceleration of reforms, Barroso said and called on Belgrade to continue to remove obstacles that are on Serbia’s European road, which means full cooperation with the Hague tribunal, Barroso underlined.

EU membership is an achievable goal. There are obstacles to be overcome, but with the will of the Serbian people, we think that Serbia’s membership of the EU can become a reality one day, he stressed.

Tadic rejected any connection of Kosovo-Metohija status solution with Serbia’s European integration, which is important for regional stability and achieving rational solutions.

Serbia is not giving up on Kosovo and will not recognise it. We have launched a procedure before the UN on the legality of Kosovo secession. This is a very important initiative and we expect a positive reaction by the UN General Assembly, said Tadic.

Serbia is not aggressive toward Kosovo, Serbia is not blocking the economy of Kosovo but is only using diplomatic and legal means and thus contributes to the stability of the region and showcases European values, Tadic said.

Barroso said that regional cooperation in the Western Balkans and participation of all stakeholders is crucial for the European Commission.

We know that this is a sensitive issue, but we think that pragmatic solutions are possible in order to achieve stability in Kosovo and in the Balkans, said Barroso.