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.
Showing posts with label Serbia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Serbia. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Monday, October 29, 2007
Serbia will be more flexible once unilateral Kosovo independence threats stop
Belgrade, Oct 29, 2007 – Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vuk Jeremic announced readiness of Belgrade to be even more flexible in negotiations on the future status of Kosovo-Metohija once there are no more threats of a unilateral proclamation and recognition of independence of the southern Serbian province.
In an interview with daily Blic, Jeremic said that as long as any document put on the table clearly excludes the possibility of unilateral proclamation and recognition of Kosovo’s independence.
He said that he would like a compromise solution to be found by December 10, but doubted it is a realistic aim.
Hence it is of utmost importance to make substantial progress in negotiations to set foundations for the position of the international community that talks need to continue. However, the threat of unilateral moves puts a big burden on the whole process and thus also burdens the chance to find a compromise, Jeremic said.
Commenting on the fact that the troika could come up with another, final document by the end of the negotiating process, he said that Belgrade shall not, under any circumstances, agree to any offer jeopardising and relativising Serbia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia.
He said he believes that compromise is possible, a model which brings together the legitimate requests of Kosovo Albanians for a high degree of self-government with the equally legitimate Belgrade request for the preservation of sovereignty, which is why both sides should talk until a solution is reached.
According to Jeremic, everything else is not a solution but mere rephrasing of the problem in the Balkans and it is now increasingly clear that more international actors are becoming interested in a precedent, such as the province’s independence.
When asked under which conditions Belgrade would agree that an EU mission comes to Kosovo-Metohija, Jeremic recalled that not even during the talks led by Martti Ahtisaari did Belgrade pose amendments to the proposal defining the European presence in the province.
We did not do that because we believe that the EU should have a leading role in administering Kosovo-Metohija after a compromise solution to the status is reached. However, any change in the way the province is administered must be preceded by an appropriate decision by the UN Security Council. We now have Resolution 1244 according to which the UN mission has clear legitimacy to administer the province and this can be changed by a new resolution, explained Jeremic.
He stressed that Brussels and Belgrade advocate the joint policy that EU accession and negotiations on the status of Kosovo-Metohija are two different processes.
Our decision on Kosovo-Metohija must not in any way be related to our decision to join the EU. This is a choice which our country cannot make. No one should put Serbian citizens in a situation of choosing between those two issues. The European road is equally important to Serbia as is the preservation of its territorial wholeness, said Jeremic.
In an interview with daily Blic, Jeremic said that as long as any document put on the table clearly excludes the possibility of unilateral proclamation and recognition of Kosovo’s independence.
He said that he would like a compromise solution to be found by December 10, but doubted it is a realistic aim.
Hence it is of utmost importance to make substantial progress in negotiations to set foundations for the position of the international community that talks need to continue. However, the threat of unilateral moves puts a big burden on the whole process and thus also burdens the chance to find a compromise, Jeremic said.
Commenting on the fact that the troika could come up with another, final document by the end of the negotiating process, he said that Belgrade shall not, under any circumstances, agree to any offer jeopardising and relativising Serbia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia.
He said he believes that compromise is possible, a model which brings together the legitimate requests of Kosovo Albanians for a high degree of self-government with the equally legitimate Belgrade request for the preservation of sovereignty, which is why both sides should talk until a solution is reached.
According to Jeremic, everything else is not a solution but mere rephrasing of the problem in the Balkans and it is now increasingly clear that more international actors are becoming interested in a precedent, such as the province’s independence.
When asked under which conditions Belgrade would agree that an EU mission comes to Kosovo-Metohija, Jeremic recalled that not even during the talks led by Martti Ahtisaari did Belgrade pose amendments to the proposal defining the European presence in the province.
We did not do that because we believe that the EU should have a leading role in administering Kosovo-Metohija after a compromise solution to the status is reached. However, any change in the way the province is administered must be preceded by an appropriate decision by the UN Security Council. We now have Resolution 1244 according to which the UN mission has clear legitimacy to administer the province and this can be changed by a new resolution, explained Jeremic.
He stressed that Brussels and Belgrade advocate the joint policy that EU accession and negotiations on the status of Kosovo-Metohija are two different processes.
Our decision on Kosovo-Metohija must not in any way be related to our decision to join the EU. This is a choice which our country cannot make. No one should put Serbian citizens in a situation of choosing between those two issues. The European road is equally important to Serbia as is the preservation of its territorial wholeness, said Jeremic.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Foundations for economic, cultural cooperation of Baden-Württemberg, Serbia established
Stuttgart, Oct 26, 2007 – Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic expressed satisfaction today in Stuttgart, after visiting the German province of Baden Württemberg, that Serbia is able to set foundations for economic and cultural cooperation with this strong German province.
Djelic met today with Baden-Württemberg Minister President Günther Oettinger, with who he reached an agreement on forming a joint commission of the Serbian government and authorities of Baden-Württemberg, which would work on speeding up Serbia’s EU integration, economic and cultural cooperation.
I am very pleased that today we established these connections. This is the first visit of a Serbian government official to Baden-Württemberg in the past 32 years, Djelic told journalists after the meeting with Oettinger and a delegation of local businesspeople.
Oettinger said that as the Serbian nation and economy are progressing, Baden-Württemberg has an interest to cooperate with Serbia.
CEO of the Baden-Württemberg Agency for International Economic and Scientific Cooperation Michael Hagenmeyer said that Serbia is now attractive for foreign investors, especially in the areas of water management, energy and renewable energy.
He however, highlighted that political stability needs to be established and that ownership issue need to be resolved.
Djelic will travel to Hamburg tonight to attend the German Social Democratic Party Congress tomorrow.
Djelic met today with Baden-Württemberg Minister President Günther Oettinger, with who he reached an agreement on forming a joint commission of the Serbian government and authorities of Baden-Württemberg, which would work on speeding up Serbia’s EU integration, economic and cultural cooperation.
I am very pleased that today we established these connections. This is the first visit of a Serbian government official to Baden-Württemberg in the past 32 years, Djelic told journalists after the meeting with Oettinger and a delegation of local businesspeople.
Oettinger said that as the Serbian nation and economy are progressing, Baden-Württemberg has an interest to cooperate with Serbia.
CEO of the Baden-Württemberg Agency for International Economic and Scientific Cooperation Michael Hagenmeyer said that Serbia is now attractive for foreign investors, especially in the areas of water management, energy and renewable energy.
He however, highlighted that political stability needs to be established and that ownership issue need to be resolved.
Djelic will travel to Hamburg tonight to attend the German Social Democratic Party Congress tomorrow.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
