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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Serbia could acquire EU candidate status this year

Belgrade/Rome, 23 January 2009

Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vuk Jeremic said today in Rome that with strong support from Italy and other European friends Serbia could acquire EU candidate status by the end of the year.

Speaking at a ceremony held to mark 130 years of diplomatic relations between Serbia and Italy, Jeremic reiterated that Serbia’s central strategic priority is to acquire EU membership as soon as possible.

With your help and the help of other friendly countries in Europe during 2009, Serbia could make significant progress in achieving this goal. Jointly we can make a major breakthrough in EU integration in 2009, said Jeremic.

He said that it is possible to take major steps towards Serbia’s European future in 2009 with close cooperation aimed at the removal of visa restrictions for Serbian citizens and efforts to overcome obstacles posed by the tough stance of certain countries regarding the issue of unfreezing the transitional trade agreement between Serbia and the EU.

Jeremic stressed that Serbia also expects support concerning its application for EU membership.

We hope that the EU Council of Ministers will welcome this application and forward it to the European Commission, entrusting it with the task of giving its opinion soon. With strong support from friends Serbia could achieve candidate status by the end of this year, reiterated Jeremic.

Speaking about the removal of visa restrictions, he said that the Italian government understands how important freedom of movement within Europe is for Serbia and precisely because of this Italy is at the head of efforts to make visa-free travel a reality for all Serbian citizens.

I can only express my gratitude and appeal to you to continue your efforts, said Jeremic. He recalled that Italy, together with a majority of EU countries, does not doubt that Serbia is fully cooperating with the Hague tribunal.

He expressed gratitude to Italy for support concerning this important issue, stressing that it is obvious that further encouragement is needed during 2009.

If we do not make good use of this moment to fulfill all the Copenhagen Criteria as soon as possible I am afraid that the progress made so far will be rendered useless, warned Jeremic.

He said that Serbia will make every effort to achieve its central strategic aim through active cooperation with Brussels and other EU capitals, including Rome, adding that Serbia cannot do this alone.

I believe that we can reach our aims for 2009 because I have faith in our joint goals and in the strength of the friendship that we are celebrating here today, said Jeremic.

Jeremic spoke about the history of diplomatic relations between Serbia and Italy which were formally established in 1879, saying that Italy was and remains Serbia’s top strategic partner in economics.

He said that more than 200 Italian companies, which annually invest €2.4 billion in Serbia, employ 18,000 Serbian citizens, and recalled Serbian President Boris Tadic’s initiative to institutionalize relations with many Italian regions.

Jeremic recalled that Italy supported Serbia at the beginning of the 20th century, as well as 100 years later when Serbia signed the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU and voiced his belief that it will be the same in the future.

Jeremic also recalled that Serbia decided to speed up its EU integration at the moment when Kosovo illegally declared its independence, on February 17, 2008, which was a huge challenge for Serbian democracy.

Serbia immediately opposed the illegally declared Kosovo independence and is now trying to reach a compromise through peaceful and democratic means, concluded Jeremic.

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said that Serbia’s EU aspirations must not be hampered any more and invited the EU to discuss the ratification of the Transitional Trade Agreement at the Council of Minister’s next session, taking place in February. These negotiations should be transferred from the expert to the political arena. The EU should take Serbia’s progress concerning its cooperation with the Hague tribunal into account and therefore help it surmount all the obstacles regarding the unfreezing of the Transitional Trade Agreement, said Frattini.

He pointed out that Serbia may soon achieve visa liberalisation, which will be proof of mutual trust between Serbia and the EU. It can happen even before the end of European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso’s term in office in October 2009, adding that it is unnecessary to postpone this issue until the European Commission’s next session, taking place in November 2009.