Q:
A:
Serbia will not give up its strategic goal of joining EU
Belgrade,
27 March 2009
Deputy Prime Minister for EU integration Bozidar Djelic said in an interview for today’s edition of the Vecernje Novosti daily that Serbia will not give up it’s main ambition and strategic goal, that is, EU entry.
The Serbian government’s official website gives excerpts from the interview.
EU support to the Serbian budget:
Serbia is the only country in the region to get budget support from the European Commission. This is the most concrete form of assistance from the EU. Apart from Brussels’ support, we also expect assistance of €500 million from European commercial banks for our budget and the European Investment Bank has granted us €250 million for SMEs.
Arrangement with the IMF:
If it had not been for this arrangement, Serbia would not have been able to count on any foreign financial assistance and investors would steer clear from us.
Will citizens be able to bear the entire ‘burden’ stemming from this arrangement:
The crisis is serious and Serbia had to accept the IMF’s terms in order to get around €3 billion to maintain the stability of the dinar.
Serbia’s European road:
The EU is affected by the crisis, their elections and the dissolution of several governments, but Serbia will not give up its ambitions and its strategic goal of joining the EU. Nothing can alter this goal of ours or prevent its achievement, not even the difficult economic crisis, which can but impede and slow us on this road.
Applying for EU membership:
The EU Integration Council’s recommendation to the government is that Serbia applies for membership this year. However, more important for us is that the EU unfreezes the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA). Much will depend on Brammertz’s visit to Belgrade and his assessment of Serbia’s cooperation with the Hague tribunal. EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn assured me that the doors to the EU are still open for Serbia, but the Netherlands remains adamant in its stance.
Is it possible to unfreeze the SAA without arresting Ratko Mladic:
It is very difficult, but not entirely impossible.
Effects of the SAA’s unilateral implementation:
If Serbia had not begun with its unilateral implementation, it would have been denied EU assistance now. The opposition’s estimates that Serbia will thus lose €200–300 million will not come true. We lost €5 million on the customs tax in February, therefore the loss for the entire year will not surpass €100 million.
Visa abolishment for Serbian citizens:
Serbia will do all it can to enter the Schengen ’white list’ before the year’s end and the decision on that will be made in the second half of 2009, during Sweden’s EU presidency. So far we have been receiving positive signals from Brussels. It is a good thing for Serbia that the decision on visa abolishment will be made for each country individually and not for the entire region.
Expected foreign investment influx in 2009:
It stands at around €1 billion. Today we will sign a project for the city of Nis worth €6 million with France’s Sagem.
Serbian parliament’s work:
It functions much better now and it has adopted all the laws needed for the white Schengen but it has to maintain this pace.
How many European laws are yet to be adopted:
The government has to prepare and parliament to adopt 155 European laws this year. I hope we will achieve that goal.
EU support to the Serbian budget:
Serbia is the only country in the region to get budget support from the European Commission. This is the most concrete form of assistance from the EU. Apart from Brussels’ support, we also expect assistance of €500 million from European commercial banks for our budget and the European Investment Bank has granted us €250 million for SMEs.
Arrangement with the IMF:
If it had not been for this arrangement, Serbia would not have been able to count on any foreign financial assistance and investors would steer clear from us.
Will citizens be able to bear the entire ‘burden’ stemming from this arrangement:
The crisis is serious and Serbia had to accept the IMF’s terms in order to get around €3 billion to maintain the stability of the dinar.
Serbia’s European road:
The EU is affected by the crisis, their elections and the dissolution of several governments, but Serbia will not give up its ambitions and its strategic goal of joining the EU. Nothing can alter this goal of ours or prevent its achievement, not even the difficult economic crisis, which can but impede and slow us on this road.
Applying for EU membership:
The EU Integration Council’s recommendation to the government is that Serbia applies for membership this year. However, more important for us is that the EU unfreezes the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA). Much will depend on Brammertz’s visit to Belgrade and his assessment of Serbia’s cooperation with the Hague tribunal. EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn assured me that the doors to the EU are still open for Serbia, but the Netherlands remains adamant in its stance.
Is it possible to unfreeze the SAA without arresting Ratko Mladic:
It is very difficult, but not entirely impossible.
Effects of the SAA’s unilateral implementation:
If Serbia had not begun with its unilateral implementation, it would have been denied EU assistance now. The opposition’s estimates that Serbia will thus lose €200–300 million will not come true. We lost €5 million on the customs tax in February, therefore the loss for the entire year will not surpass €100 million.
Visa abolishment for Serbian citizens:
Serbia will do all it can to enter the Schengen ’white list’ before the year’s end and the decision on that will be made in the second half of 2009, during Sweden’s EU presidency. So far we have been receiving positive signals from Brussels. It is a good thing for Serbia that the decision on visa abolishment will be made for each country individually and not for the entire region.
Expected foreign investment influx in 2009:
It stands at around €1 billion. Today we will sign a project for the city of Nis worth €6 million with France’s Sagem.
Serbian parliament’s work:
It functions much better now and it has adopted all the laws needed for the white Schengen but it has to maintain this pace.
How many European laws are yet to be adopted:
The government has to prepare and parliament to adopt 155 European laws this year. I hope we will achieve that goal.
-
Belgrade, 29 October 2024State moves to minimise advertising for betting shops
-
Belgrade/Berlin, 28 January 2016Fences cannot stop migrations
-
Belgrade, 7 January 2016Serbia to experience dynamic economic growth in 2016
-
Belgrade, 31 December 2015Serbia will persevere on path of development, reforms
-
Belgrade, 30 December 2015Ground for Serbia’s progress set
-
Belgrade, 28 December 2015
Serbia ready for improvement of cooperation with Russia
-
Belgrade, 22 December 2015Serbia ready to open six more chapters next year
-
Belgrade, 21 December 2015Serbia to be part of EU by 2020
-
Belgrade, 20 December 2015Serbia ready for EU membership by 2019
-
Belgrade, 16 December 2015Chapter 35 not substitute for Belgrade-Pristina dialogue