Q:
A:
Economic crisis may slow down EU enlargement
Belgrade/Vienna,
1 April 2009
Minister of Foreign Affairs Vuk Jeremic said in an interview with Viennese daily Presse that the economic crisis could slow down the EU accession process for new members and also expressed hope that Serbia could avoid recession this year.
File photo of Vuk Jeremic
Author:
Tanjug
Jeremic said that the conclusion from the meeting of EU foreign ministers in the Czech Republic last weekend, that Europe remains dedicated to the promise that Western Balkan countries will be integrated into the EU, is good news.
The bad news is that it will take more than we thought before as these are difficult times and the crisis could slow down accession into the EU, he said.
Speaking about Serbia’s European integration, the Minister said that a majority of Serbs still support integration, but noted that there is no record high level of support like last year.
He repeated that visa abolition and unfreezing the Stabilisation and Association Agreement would be of the utmost importance in preserving citizens’ European perspective.
Asked if Serbia might be blackmailed over the Kosovo-Metohija issue by additional financial support from abroad when the country needs it, Jeremic responded that these two topics have nothing in common.
During the talks with the IMF and during my talks in the EU about the economic crisis there has never been any mention of Kosovo-Metohija. It is in the interest of all that these topics are not connected, as the result would be very complicated, he stressed.
Jeremic repeated that Serbia is taking great efforts to cooperate with the Hague tribunal when it comes to the arrest of Ratko Mladic, which is one of the preconditions for EU accession.
But when we hear from abroad that we are not doing everything we can, that has a bizarre effect, both enemies and advocates of cooperation with the court ask whether Mladic’s arrest is a precondition for the EU or an excuse, Jeremic concluded.
The bad news is that it will take more than we thought before as these are difficult times and the crisis could slow down accession into the EU, he said.
Speaking about Serbia’s European integration, the Minister said that a majority of Serbs still support integration, but noted that there is no record high level of support like last year.
He repeated that visa abolition and unfreezing the Stabilisation and Association Agreement would be of the utmost importance in preserving citizens’ European perspective.
Asked if Serbia might be blackmailed over the Kosovo-Metohija issue by additional financial support from abroad when the country needs it, Jeremic responded that these two topics have nothing in common.
During the talks with the IMF and during my talks in the EU about the economic crisis there has never been any mention of Kosovo-Metohija. It is in the interest of all that these topics are not connected, as the result would be very complicated, he stressed.
Jeremic repeated that Serbia is taking great efforts to cooperate with the Hague tribunal when it comes to the arrest of Ratko Mladic, which is one of the preconditions for EU accession.
But when we hear from abroad that we are not doing everything we can, that has a bizarre effect, both enemies and advocates of cooperation with the court ask whether Mladic’s arrest is a precondition for the EU or an excuse, Jeremic concluded.
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