Visa agreement signing due Wednesday

Visa agreement signing due Wednesday

Foreign ministers of EU member states due to meet today are likely to hint at speeding up of Serbia’s European integration process alongside announcements of the resumption of stabilization and association talks.

EU officials said Monday they were optimistic that pro-Western political parties in Serbia could agree on a government coalition that fully cooperates with the U.N. war crimes tribunal.

Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik said she hoped the recent "positive political signals" will be confirmed with the formation of a pro-EU government.

The new Serbian government will have to live up to EU’s expectations and undertake all necessary steps that would prompt European-wise reforms, restore the pace of investments, all the while showing an unequivocal resolve to achieve full co-operation with the Hague Tribunal.

BBC reported that the EU ministers would act on EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn and EU High Representative Javier Solana’s request and propose swift resumption of talks with Serbia as soon as the new government displayed clear political tenacity and announce concrete tangible steps towards meeting the Hague Tribunal’s requests.

EU policy chiefs will also address the issue of Kosovo in the light of UN fact finding mission’s report on the state of affairs in the province and the U.S.-European draft resolution on Kosovo’s final status.

Rehn to visit Serbia soon

U Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said Monday that he would soon visit Serbia to "study moves there to form a pro-European government without the radical nationalists", AFP reported.

"I trust that the leaders of the democratic forces (will) finalize the negotiations and the parliament will vote for the government," he told reporters as he arrived for a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.

Rehn said he would "assume" the new government would cooperate fully with the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague and seek to capture top war crimes suspect Ratko Mladić.

"I will soon personally visit Serbia in order to discuss these matters and study more precisely the government programme and the actions taken," he said.