“Interim agreement could be unfrozen Monday”

Holland will vote for the implementation of the interim trade agreement with Serbia at the EU Council of Ministers meeting next week, daily Dnevnik writes. Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen will vote in favor of the beginning of the implementation of the agreement at the if Hague Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz’s next report is as favorable as the previous one, the daily writes “Interim agreement could be unfrozen Monday” It adds that Holland will give the green light for the beginning of the ratification of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) in June as well. In that case Dutch government would support the ratification of the SAA regardless of the fact that Ratko Mladic has yet to be arrested, the sources close to the Dutch Foreign Ministry told Dnevnik. These rumors were confirmed by the President of the Dutch parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Hank Jan Ormel, who congratulated Belgrade on the excellent report of the Hague prosecutor, the daily writes. “After the confirmation of the good cooperation with the Hague Tribunal, the Foreign Affairs Committee has instructed the foreign minister to vote for the beginning of the interim agreement implementation and we can start the SAA ratification process in June if the next report is as good as this one,” Ormel said. “After that, Serbia could take new steps toward European integration—first the SAA ratification decision, followed by the EU membership application. Serbia should not be nervous about respecting the procedure because it has a guaranteed place in the EU, it just needs to fulfill the conditions,” Ormel said. According to the daily, the vast majority of EU member-states want to approve the decision for the SAA ratification on Monday, but they have decided not to “push their luck,” keeping in mind the previous experience with Holland. Certain countries such as Italy, Greece, and Spain will state their opinion at the Council of Ministers meeting that one step further should be made—the SAA ratification—said the daily’s source in Brussels. Serbia will submit its application for EU membership candidacy in December and the Swedish presidency is willing to accept the application and forward it to the Council of Ministers, the daily added. Considering the fact that Spain will chair the EU in the first half of 2010, Belgrade wants to use the excellent relations with Madrid and especially with Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, who will head the Council of Ministers together with the EU High Representative Catherine Ashton, Dnevnik adds.

“Interim agreement could be unfrozen Monday”

It adds that Holland will give the green light for the beginning of the ratification of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) in June as well.

In that case Dutch government would support the ratification of the SAA regardless of the fact that Ratko Mladić has yet to be arrested, the sources close to the Dutch Foreign Ministry told Dnevnik.

These rumors were confirmed by the President of the Dutch parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Hank Jan Ormel, who congratulated Belgrade on the excellent report of the Hague prosecutor, the daily writes.

“After the confirmation of the good cooperation with the Hague Tribunal, the Foreign Affairs Committee has instructed the foreign minister to vote for the beginning of the interim agreement implementation and we can start the SAA ratification process in June if the next report is as good as this one,” Ormel said.

“After that, Serbia could take new steps toward European integration—first the SAA ratification decision, followed by the EU membership application. Serbia should not be nervous about respecting the procedure because it has a guaranteed place in the EU, it just needs to fulfill the conditions,” Ormel said.

According to the daily, the vast majority of EU member-states want to approve the decision for the SAA ratification on Monday, but they have decided not to “push their luck,” keeping in mind the previous experience with Holland.

Certain countries such as Italy, Greece, and Spain will state their opinion at the Council of Ministers meeting that one step further should be made—the SAA ratification—said the daily’s source in Brussels.

Serbia will submit its application for EU membership candidacy in December and the Swedish presidency is willing to accept the application and forward it to the Council of Ministers, the daily added.

Considering the fact that Spain will chair the EU in the first half of 2010, Belgrade wants to use the excellent relations with Madrid and especially with Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, who will head the Council of Ministers together with the EU High Representative Catherine Ashton, Dnevnik adds.