"EU to accept any Kosovo compromise"

EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn repeated Wednesday that the EU supported any joint solution to the Kosovo issue. After a meeting with Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic in Brussels, Rehn said that he had spoken to the European Contact Group Troika envoy, Wolfgang Ischinger, to tell the German diplomat he had the EU’s support in finding a solution to the Kosovo status problem. "EU to accept any Kosovo compromise" "Ischinger is working hard on that process, and the EU is expecting constructive moves from Belgrade and Pristina, with a result on December 10," the commissioner said. "It will take very constructive and creative efforts on the part of Belgrade and Pristina for us to have any results on December 10, when the Troika is due to submit its final report." "The EU is sticking to the principles of the Contact Group, which rule out a partition of Kosovo. Any solution that is acceptable to both Belgrade and Pristina, should they find one, is acceptable to the EU," he added. Jeremic agreed with Ren that it was necessary to support the Troika, as that was the way to find a compromise. "Serbia supports the Troika’s work, and hopes that it will lead to a final solution that will bring a European future within reach of the whole of the western Balkans." "If we want to reach a compromise, we have to work together, and if we want to work together we have to refrain from unilateral moves," said the minister. Rehn also said he was glad that Serbia’s Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) talks with the EU were going well, although he added one of the essential conditions for concluding the agreement was full cooperation with the Hague Tribunal, i.e. the arrest and handover of all war crimes fugitives. "Full cooperation with the Hague, meaning the arrest of Ratko Mladic and other fugitives and their extradition to the Hague to bring them to justice is one of the conditions for the completion of talks on stabilization and association." "We are in permanent contact with the Tribunal, and I will once again be asking for their opinion as far as cooperation is concerned. In the meantime, I hope we will soon finish the technical part of the talks, prior to assessing the conditions for the completion of the process," said Rehn. Jeremic repeated that Serbia was determined to meet all its remaining commitments to the Hague. "That readiness means that Serbia will do everything in her power, and that she will use all possible resources to locate, arrest and hand over the remaining fugitives," said the minister. Jeremic and Rehn confirmed that the EU and Serbia would sign an agreement on the easing of visa restrictions and readmission, a document that will come into effect on January 1, 2008. Vuk Jeremic, Olli Rehn (Tanjug)

"EU to accept any Kosovo compromise"

"Ischinger is working hard on that process, and the EU is expecting constructive moves from Belgrade and Priština, with a result on December 10," the commissioner said.

"It will take very constructive and creative efforts on the part of Belgrade and Priština for us to have any results on December 10, when the Troika is due to submit its final report."

"The EU is sticking to the principles of the Contact Group, which rule out a partition of Kosovo. Any solution that is acceptable to both Belgrade and Priština, should they find one, is acceptable to the EU," he added.

Jeremić agreed with Ren that it was necessary to support the Troika, as that was the way to find a compromise.

"Serbia supports the Troika’s work, and hopes that it will lead to a final solution that will bring a European future within reach of the whole of the western Balkans."

"If we want to reach a compromise, we have to work together, and if we want to work together we have to refrain from unilateral moves," said the minister.

Rehn also said he was glad that Serbia’s Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) talks with the EU were going well, although he added one of the essential conditions for concluding the agreement was full cooperation with the Hague Tribunal, i.e. the arrest and handover of all war crimes fugitives.

"Full cooperation with the Hague, meaning the arrest of Ratko Mladić and other fugitives and their extradition to the Hague to bring them to justice is one of the conditions for the completion of talks on stabilization and association."

"We are in permanent contact with the Tribunal, and I will once again be asking for their opinion as far as cooperation is concerned. In the meantime, I hope we will soon finish the technical part of the talks, prior to assessing the conditions for the completion of the process," said Rehn.

Jeremić repeated that Serbia was determined to meet all its remaining commitments to the Hague.

"That readiness means that Serbia will do everything in her power, and that she will use all possible resources to locate, arrest and hand over the remaining fugitives," said the minister.

Jeremić and Rehn confirmed that the EU and Serbia would sign an agreement on the easing of visa restrictions and readmission, a document that will come into effect on January 1, 2008.