Dulić: Good news for Serbia

Parliamentary Speaker Oliver Dulic says that it is good news for Serbia that Belgium and Holland are prepared to agree to approve signing of the SAA before May 11. “That’s good news for Serbia if it happens, and if Serbia can access the benefits of the agreement immediately,” said Dulic. Dulic: Good news for Serbia “That will allow Serbia and her citizens to feel the positive effects of EU integration in the time to come,” he said. The speaker said that the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) would allow Serbia to strengthen her institutions, create new jobs, tackle social problems, achieve criteria, and accelerate further European integration. He said that this would mean that by signing the SAA, Serbia would become an associate EU member, and that in future, by meeting undertaken commitments and changing society, she would be able to defend her national interests, retain her dignity, and give her citizens a better life. “Cooperation with the Hague Tribunal was and remains not only our international commitment, not just a commitment of Serbian law, but, above all, a means of respecting the families of the victims and drawing a line under the ugly past of the Nineties,” underlined Dulic Earlier today, Belgium and Holland said that they were prepared to soften their stance and sanction signing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with Serbia, provided that Belgrade did not begin to apply its provisions until full cooperation with the Hague Tribunal was achieved. Jelica Minic from the European Movement says that Belgium and Holland’s u-turn is good news, though the EU’s credibility in Serbia would be destroyed if it all just ended in promises. “In my opinion, the most important thing is that the process of European integration continues constantly, for there to be no more interruptions, intervals, or threats to the process itself. If signing accomplishes this, then there really is a point to it,” says Minic. However, she believes that it is hard to predict whether the offer to sign will come before the elections, as similar promises arrived prior to the presidential ballot. “There is always a certain amount of reserve. Were the EU once again to send out clear indicators that they might offer signing, and then nothing happened in the end, then that would severely dent the EU’s credibility in Serbia. That’s why I have to believe that the EU has serious intentions this time round,” says Minic. Oliver Dulic (FoNet, archive)

Dulić: Good news for Serbia

“That will allow Serbia and her citizens to feel the positive effects of EU integration in the time to come,” he said.

The speaker said that the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) would allow Serbia to strengthen her institutions, create new jobs, tackle social problems, achieve criteria, and accelerate further European integration.

He said that this would mean that by signing the SAA, Serbia would become an associate EU member, and that in future, by meeting undertaken commitments and changing society, she would be able to defend her national interests, retain her dignity, and give her citizens a better life.

“Cooperation with the Hague Tribunal was and remains not only our international commitment, not just a commitment of Serbian law, but, above all, a means of respecting the families of the victims and drawing a line under the ugly past of the Nineties,” underlined Dulić

Earlier today, Belgium and Holland said that they were prepared to soften their stance and sanction signing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with Serbia, provided that Belgrade did not begin to apply its provisions until full cooperation with the Hague Tribunal was achieved.

Jelica Minić from the European Movement says that Belgium and Holland’s u-turn is good news, though the EU’s credibility in Serbia would be destroyed if it all just ended in promises.

“In my opinion, the most important thing is that the process of European integration continues constantly, for there to be no more interruptions, intervals, or threats to the process itself. If signing accomplishes this, then there really is a point to it,” says Minić.

However, she believes that it is hard to predict whether the offer to sign will come before the elections, as similar promises arrived prior to the presidential ballot.

“There is always a certain amount of reserve. Were the EU once again to send out clear indicators that they might offer signing, and then nothing happened in the end, then that would severely dent the EU’s credibility in Serbia. That’s why I have to believe that the EU has serious intentions this time round,” says Minić.