"We'll persuade Netherlands," says Đelić

"We will do everything to convince the Netherlands that we are doing all we can to finalize the Hague cooperation," says Bozidar Djelic. The deputy prime minister spoke ahead of Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen's visit here next month, to say that Belgrade will present its arguments, "and not only those related to the Hague Tribunal cooperation, but also to the results in the process of EU integration". "We'll persuade Netherlands," says Djelic Djelic was quoted as saying in Belgrade late on Saturday that he hoped the Netherlands could support Serbia on the next EU ministerial meeting, scheduled for July 27. "We hope, and we will give it our all, for the implementation of the SAA to be made possible, and thus unblock the process of Serbia's European integration. The end of July is the first possible deadline for something of the kind," he stated. Djelic reminded that while 26 out of 27 EU member-states support the SAA implementation, "only the Netherlands" is against, "because of the traumatic events in Srebrenica". He reminded that Serbia extradited former political leader of Bosnia's Serbs Radovan Karadzic and added it is "often forgotten" that the Belgrade authorities extradited a total of 44 out of 46 persons wanted by The Hague-based UN war crimes court. "Therefore, it is not true that Serbia is doing nothing on this issue. No, Serbia has already done almost everything, and there are two people remaining that are being searched for. We are doing all we can and we cooperate in this with several European security services," revealed Djelic. The minister pointed out that when Chief Hague Prosecutor Serge Brammertz submitted his latest report on Serbia's cooperation to the June 16 gathering of EU ministers in Luxembourg, he was asked whether Serbia was doing everything it could to finalize the cooperation, and that his answer was affirmative. Djelic added that Brammertz at that time agreed that the SAA implementation would also help the Hague cooperation process. Although Serbia is not a candidate for EU membership, he continued, the country "economically and financially belongs to the union's space". "About 80 percent of banks in Serbia are not only headquartered in the EU, but are also a part of the eurozone. Serbia conducts 65 percent of the trade exchange with EU countries," said Djelic, and added, "if you add regional CEFTA states to that number, that's 90 percent." He also said that 80 percent of FDI came from EU members, "which in the past eight years amounted to USD 16bn".

"We'll persuade Netherlands," says Đelić

Đelić was quoted as saying in Belgrade late on Saturday that he hoped the Netherlands could support Serbia on the next EU ministerial meeting, scheduled for July 27.

"We hope, and we will give it our all, for the implementation of the SAA to be made possible, and thus unblock the process of Serbia's European integration. The end of July is the first possible deadline for something of the kind," he stated.

Đelić reminded that while 26 out of 27 EU member-states support the SAA implementation, "only the Netherlands" is against, "because of the traumatic events in Srebrenica".

He reminded that Serbia extradited former political leader of Bosnia's Serbs Radovan Karadžić and added it is "often forgotten" that the Belgrade authorities extradited a total of 44 out of 46 persons wanted by The Hague-based UN war crimes court.

"Therefore, it is not true that Serbia is doing nothing on this issue. No, Serbia has already done almost everything, and there are two people remaining that are being searched for. We are doing all we can and we cooperate in this with several European security services," revealed Đelić.

The minister pointed out that when Chief Hague Prosecutor Serge Brammertz submitted his latest report on Serbia's cooperation to the June 16 gathering of EU ministers in Luxembourg, he was asked whether Serbia was doing everything it could to finalize the cooperation, and that his answer was affirmative.

Đelić added that Brammertz at that time agreed that the SAA implementation would also help the Hague cooperation process.

Although Serbia is not a candidate for EU membership, he continued, the country "economically and financially belongs to the union's space".

"About 80 percent of banks in Serbia are not only headquartered in the EU, but are also a part of the eurozone. Serbia conducts 65 percent of the trade exchange with EU countries," said Đelić, and added, "if you add regional CEFTA states to that number, that's 90 percent."

He also said that 80 percent of FDI came from EU members, "which in the past eight years amounted to USD 16bn".