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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Faster EU accession of strategic importance for Serbia

Belgrade/Berlin, 28 November 2008

Minister of Foreign Affairs Vuk Jeremic today proposed in Berlin that the transitional trade agreement between Serbia and the EU should be unfrozen during the next year and Serbia granted official EU candidate status.

Vuk Jeremic

Author: Tanjug

While delivering a lecture on Serbia and Europe at Humboldt University, Jeremic noted that Serbian citizens are now inclined to the EU more than ever before, which is why Serbia should be included in the Schengen ’white list’ in 2009.

We need a road map for successful accession, stressed Jeremic, emphasising that Serbia has never been more determined to reach the finishing line, that is Europe, than it is now.

He noted that faster EU entry has a central strategic importance for Serbia, adding that it is even more important that Serbia is striding towards this goal and at the same time both respects its past and believes in its future.

He also pointed that any attempt to link the self-proclaimed Kosovo independence with Serbia’s EU integration process would have undesired consequences, including the immediate halt of Serbia’s EU entry.

Serbia has strained relations with the countries that recognised Kosovo-Metohija, but has not changed its stance regarding the EU, as the EU maintains a principled position regarding Kosovo’s neutral status, which was confirmed by the UN Security Council’s decision on the deployment of EULEX, pointed out Jeremic.

He said that Serbia is not being treated the same way as the other countries which are also making efforts to join the EU, adding that there is a series of preconditions that Serbia has to fulfil, such as cooperation with the Hague tribunal.

Jeremic stressed that all Western Balkan countries must cooperate with the Hague tribunal in order to join the EU, adding that Serbia has expressed great readiness in this respect.

In a statement to the Fonet news agency after holding talks with the German Chancellor’s Foreign and Security Policy Advisor Christoph Heusgen and Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office Gernot Erler, Jeremic said that Germany fully supports Serbia in its efforts to acquire candidate status next year and for visa restrictions to be removed for Serbian citizens.

The Minister said that he received assurances that Germany will continue to support Serbia’s EU integration, adding that Belgrade will keep up close cooperation with Berlin concerning the issue of EU integration.