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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Serbia determined to beat EU accession record

Belgrade, 31 December 2009

Minister of Foreign Affairs Vuk Jeremic stressed that Serbia has the capacity and determination to beat all records for fastest EU accession, noting that it will overtake many countries that are currently ahead of it on the EU road.

Author: Vuk Jeremic

In an interview for the holiday edition of the Vecernje Novosti daily, Jeremic said that citizens should be satisfied with the fact that Serbia has regained its self-confidence and dignity.

The government’s official web site gives excerpts of the interview.

The year 2009 as one of the most successful years in terms of foreign relations:

It turned out that sceptics were wrong because they did not believe we will succeed in achieving our goals. It appears that it is possible to fight for the preservation of territorial integrity and at the same time make progress towards the EU and be a regional leader. This, in my opinion, is the most striking impression.

The greatest challenge in 2010:

EU accession will remain the government’s central strategic priority. We will also continue to fight for the preservation of our territorial integrity with all our strength and diplomatic and legal means, and our priority will be regional relations, including the protection of rights and interests of Serbs in the region. To this I would also add economic diplomacy. We will use the political relations we have established to boost the Serbian economy and thus secure a better life for our citizens.

Can Serbia attain EU candidate status by the end of 2010:

Serbia has the capacity and determination to break all records when it comes to the speed of the EU accession process. I believe we will manage to overtake many countries that are currently ahead of us. In any case, we will try to do that. This year has been the best year for Serbia’s EU integration since the democratic changes in the country. This can also be seen in the European Commission’s report. We have abolished visas, unfrozen the interim trade agreement and submitted application for EU candidacy. Our ambition is an even better report from the European Commission next year.

You were the first to announce that Serbia will apply for EU candidacy before the year’s end and you were quite criticised for that. The key EU members – Germany and the UK – were not in favour of submitting an application at this moment. Can we expect that their stance will remain the same in future:

There were many differing opinions regarding the application, but since we applied for it, there has not been a single negative response. Our road to the EU will not be easy and one of the obstacles will be the conservative stance of some EU members towards EU enlargement to include the Western Balkans. I am convinced, however, that we will overcome all obstacles.

European Parliament Rapporteur Jelko Kacin said that in its EU questionnaire, Serbia will have to state its population and area and that way it will be possible to see whether it wants to join the EU with or without Kosovo-Metohija:

There is no dilemma for the Serbian government over this issue. Kosovo-Metohija has always been and will remain a part of Serbia. I do not expect that any government of the Republic of Serbia will ever revise this stance.

Relations with the neighbours:

Although a number of our neighbours treated our country in a way that jeopardises our vital interests, we responded with determination, but also tactfully. The result is the preservation of peace and stability in the region. However, relations with our neighbours could be even better. We will continue doing all we can to improve circumstances in the Western Balkans and help the entire region to move towards the EU. Relations with all our neighbours are very important, but it is also an undisputable fact that some more than others acted against our interests.

Are there any chances of arbitration regarding Croatia’s lawsuit for genocide:

The Croatian lawsuit has put a strain on our relations. Unfortunately, Zagreb has not showed any intention of withdrawing it, therefore our government decided to file a countersuit last year. I believe it is in Croatia’s interest to withdraw the suit, but if it does not, we will persist with our countersuit.

Strategy for the period after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) states its opinion on Kosovo-Metohija’s unilaterally declare independence:

Next year will be crucial for Kosovo-Metohija’s future status. We are well prepared, we discussed the matter with all the new Security Council members and, once the ICJ states its opinion, I expect that a new space for dialogue will open. Our strategy is focused on decreasing the number of countries wanting to recognise its independence, blocking Kosovo’s applications for membership of international organisations and maintaining the format within which Pristina representatives can participate in regional and international gatherings. Our goal is to create the circumstances under which it will become obvious that the solution can only be reached through dialogue.

What will be Serbia’s strategy if the court’s opinion is not stated explicitly:

We have reasons to be optimistic and believe that the court will opt in favour of the principles of international law, guaranteeing the territorial integrity of internationally recognised states, but whatever the outcome, we will continue our strategy of suppressing the number of recognitions.