Uncertain EU decision on trade deal

The fate of a trade agreement between Brussels and Belgrade remains uncertain ahead of an EU meeting on Monday. The EU Council of Ministers will convene tomorrow, and will also find the Interim Trade Agreement, a part of the SAA, suspended immediately after the signing in April, on its agenda. Uncertain EU decision on trade deal Although some member countries insist that this agreement should now come into force, reports say that analysts, such as the German Institute for International Relations professor Dusan Reljic, believe that such a decision would come as a genuine surprise. "The impression is that Javier Solana, some western European minister, and even the U.S., are at this point interested in unfreezing this temporary agreement. The goal is to contribute to further stabilization of the government in Belgrade and to do all in order to avoid new conflicts. Behind that, there is fear that such a development could reflect negatively, above all, on the situation in Kosovo," he said. And while the council makes unanimous decisions, Reljic continued, "constructive abstaining" of states which disagree on an issue is also possible. He reminded that the Dutch government has announced that it will not drop its opposition to the plans to enforce the agreement, and that the Srebrenica issue, which brought down one cabinet in Holland in the past, has turned into an internal policy question in that country. "Therefore, it is much more important for Holland that the EU, or its own relationship with Serbia," Reljic said. The EU has suspended the SAA and the accompanying trade deal seeking Serbia's full cooperation with the Hague Tribunal. Although Chief Hague Prosecutor Serge Brammertz, who was in Serbia last week, will attend the council's meeting, he will not submit a report. In Belgrade, Deputy PM Bozidar Djelic says he expects a positive decision by the EU ministers as they meet tomorrow. He told the daily Blic that it would be "the only possible decision", and that those at the helm of the European Commission and leading EU countries support the unfreezing of the trade agreement.

Uncertain EU decision on trade deal

Although some member countries insist that this agreement should now come into force, reports say that analysts, such as the German Institute for International Relations professor Dušan Reljić, believe that such a decision would come as a genuine surprise.

"The impression is that Javier Solana, some western European minister, and even the U.S., are at this point interested in unfreezing this temporary agreement. The goal is to contribute to further stabilization of the government in Belgrade and to do all in order to avoid new conflicts. Behind that, there is fear that such a development could reflect negatively, above all, on the situation in Kosovo," he said.

And while the council makes unanimous decisions, Reljić continued, "constructive abstaining" of states which disagree on an issue is also possible.

He reminded that the Dutch government has announced that it will not drop its opposition to the plans to enforce the agreement, and that the Srebrenica issue, which brought down one cabinet in Holland in the past, has turned into an internal policy question in that country.

"Therefore, it is much more important for Holland that the EU, or its own relationship with Serbia," Reljić said.

The EU has suspended the SAA and the accompanying trade deal seeking Serbia's full cooperation with the Hague Tribunal.

Although Chief Hague Prosecutor Serge Brammertz, who was in Serbia last week, will attend the council's meeting, he will not submit a report.

In Belgrade, Deputy PM Božidar Đelić says he expects a positive decision by the EU ministers as they meet tomorrow.

He told the daily Blic that it would be "the only possible decision", and that those at the helm of the European Commission and leading EU countries support the unfreezing of the trade agreement.