Q:
A:
Luxembourg backs Serbia’s visa liberalisation
Belgrade,
17 May 2011
Minister of Foreign Affairs Vuk Jeremic stated today that Serbia is on a good path to solving the issue of false asylum seekers, announcing that new measures will soon be implemented to meet all of the European Commission’s criteria and avoid jeopardising visa liberalisation.
Jean Asselborn, left, and Vuk Jeremic
Author:
Tanjug
At a joint press conference with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Luxembourg Jean Asselborn, Jeremic observed that Serbia has Luxembourg’s full support regarding the visa liberalisation issue.
He stressed that Luxembourg has endorsed the Western Balkan’s EU integration from the very start, but noted that the situation in the EU is currently complex, which affects the political and economic domains.
The situation is complex, but it is important not to lose spirit, not to lose energy and not to change the policy under external pressure or change direction we opted for, the Minister underlined.
As for talks between Belgrade and Pristina, Jeremic stated that head of the Serbian negotiating team Borislav Stefanovic is not conducting the talks as part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, because the Ministry is only tasked to contact independent countries.
Kosovo is not an independent country and we will not alter our position, Jeremic reiterated, adding that the Ministry endorses Stefanovic in a technical manner, just as all other Serbian institutions do.
He said that there can be no serious investigation into Dick Marty’s allegations about the trade in human organs in Kosovo-Metohija until the UN Security Council grants someone mandate to properly conduct the investigation.
Serbia will not give up on this, he repeated, adding that the fact that investigation has still not been launched cannot be overlooked.
Jeremic voiced his expectation that the global public will increase pressure to launch the investigation and punish those responsible, and that this case will not be covered up.
Asselborn noted that over the last several weeks, the Serbian government implemented a number of measures regarding false asylum seekers and that these measures have already yielded results, which has been noted in Luxembourg.
He observed that visa liberalisation is Serbia’s important step towards the EU, noting that Luxembourg will continue endorsing it, although it is faced with a large number of false asylum seekers.
He announced that Serbia may be granted candidate status by the end of the year even though the two remaining Hague indictees – Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic – are not delivered to the tribunal, but noted it is necessary to show clear political will to have them arrested.
The Minister recalled the case of Croatian General Ante Gotovina and specified that Croatia acquired candidate status in October 2005, although Gotovina had not yet been arrested at the time, because it was estimated that there is clear political will in Zagreb to deliver Gotovina to the Hague tribunal.
Asselborn added that the issues of EU integration and Kosovo are not linked, but have touch points, and positively assessed last week’s visit by head of the Serbian team Borislav Stefanovic to Pristina, noting that it was an opportunity to conduct direct talks between the two sides without international factors.
He stressed that Luxembourg has endorsed the Western Balkan’s EU integration from the very start, but noted that the situation in the EU is currently complex, which affects the political and economic domains.
The situation is complex, but it is important not to lose spirit, not to lose energy and not to change the policy under external pressure or change direction we opted for, the Minister underlined.
As for talks between Belgrade and Pristina, Jeremic stated that head of the Serbian negotiating team Borislav Stefanovic is not conducting the talks as part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, because the Ministry is only tasked to contact independent countries.
Kosovo is not an independent country and we will not alter our position, Jeremic reiterated, adding that the Ministry endorses Stefanovic in a technical manner, just as all other Serbian institutions do.
He said that there can be no serious investigation into Dick Marty’s allegations about the trade in human organs in Kosovo-Metohija until the UN Security Council grants someone mandate to properly conduct the investigation.
Serbia will not give up on this, he repeated, adding that the fact that investigation has still not been launched cannot be overlooked.
Jeremic voiced his expectation that the global public will increase pressure to launch the investigation and punish those responsible, and that this case will not be covered up.
Asselborn noted that over the last several weeks, the Serbian government implemented a number of measures regarding false asylum seekers and that these measures have already yielded results, which has been noted in Luxembourg.
He observed that visa liberalisation is Serbia’s important step towards the EU, noting that Luxembourg will continue endorsing it, although it is faced with a large number of false asylum seekers.
He announced that Serbia may be granted candidate status by the end of the year even though the two remaining Hague indictees – Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic – are not delivered to the tribunal, but noted it is necessary to show clear political will to have them arrested.
The Minister recalled the case of Croatian General Ante Gotovina and specified that Croatia acquired candidate status in October 2005, although Gotovina had not yet been arrested at the time, because it was estimated that there is clear political will in Zagreb to deliver Gotovina to the Hague tribunal.
Asselborn added that the issues of EU integration and Kosovo are not linked, but have touch points, and positively assessed last week’s visit by head of the Serbian team Borislav Stefanovic to Pristina, noting that it was an opportunity to conduct direct talks between the two sides without international factors.
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