Serbia initials Stabilisation and Association Agreement with European Union

Belgrade/Brussels, Nov 7, 2007 – Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic and EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn initialled today in Brussels the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the European Union.
The Serbian delegation at the initialling ceremony was led by Serbian President Boris Tadic, and the delegation also includes Director of the EU Integration Office Tanja Miscevic, Assistant Foreign Minister Milica Delevic and the Serbian Deputy Prime Minister's Advisor for Legal Issues of European Integration Vladimir Todoric.

Rehn said that the EU's decision to initial SAA with Serbia is a result of improved cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), which was reported by the tribunal's Chief Prosecutor Carla del Ponte.

He stressed that full cooperation of Belgrade with ICTY remains the condition for signing the SAA, which is initialled today, two years after the first round of negotiations on that agreement.

The Serbian Deputy Prime Minister said following the initialling ceremony held in Brussels that Belgrade will make all efforts to ensure that the agreement is signed as soon as possible.

According to Djelic, for those who are working on Serbia’s EU integration there will be no rest until the agreement is signed.

Today, on behalf of the Serbian government Djelic handed over Belgrade’s action plan to Rehn according to which it is emphasised that Serbia’s aim is to acquire candidate status by the end of 2008 and also to be included in the White Schengen List.

Djelic said that a new era of relations between Serbia and the EU has begun with the handing over of this action plan to the EU Enlargement Commissioner.

Once political questions are settled we will be able to carry out the process of EU integration at record speed. We have proven our capacity for such work since we managed to conclude negotiations on this agreement within a mere three and a half months whereas other countries needed up to two years, stressed Djelic.

He said that the SAA is the best insurance for domestic and foreign investors, and added that the EU budget for Serbia in 2008 will stand at €190.9 million.

However, as long as we do not acquire candidate status, the most important items on the European budget which regard regional development and agriculture, will not be available to Serbia, said Djelic.

He expressed conviction that Serbia will succeed in realising its goals within a period of just over a year.

Discussion on role of citizens at local and regional level of government

Belgrade, Oct 16, 2007 - The Serbian Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government issued a statement today that today's work of the 15th session of the Conference of Ministers responsible for Local and Regional Entities of the Member States of the Council of Europe in Valencia “Good local and regional governance – the European challenge”, is dedicated to discussion on the role of citizens in those authorities.

On the second, closing day of the conference, in which participates the Serbian delegation, led by Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government Milan Markovic, a discussion was held about the Strategy of innovations and good governance at local level, which envisages intensive activation of local authorities at central level. The Strategy was supported by all member states of the Council of Europe.

Minister Markovic endorsed implementation of the Budapest agenda adopted at the previous conference held in 2005.

Participants in the conference adopted the Declaration " Good local and regional governance – the European challenge".

Minister Markovic held an introductory speech yesterday in the capacity of chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. He attended the conference at the invitation of Spanish Minister of Public Administration Elena Salgado.

During the two-day conference, Markovic met with his counterparts, mostly from the neighbouring countries. The Serbian delegation also includes Speaker of the Vojvodina Assembly Bojan Kostres, reads the statement.

Djelic congratulates Montenegro on signing Stabilisation and Association Agreement

Belgrade, Oct 16, 2007 - Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic sent greetings today to Montenegro for signing the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the European Union.


"Today's success of the Montenegrin government shows that the European Union remains committed to the European perspective of the Western Balkan states. The European Union is our future, and a step forward in the European integration of any Western Balkan state means a step forward for the entire region, " reads the greeting of the Deputy Prime Minister.