Merkel to call on Belgrade, Priština to continue dialogue

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said that one of her tasks during her visit to Belgrade will be to call on Belgrade and Pristina to restore the dialogue. “Of course, I look forward to visiting Serbia, because Serbia and Germany have good bilateral relations. Over the past months and years, Serbia has managed to achieve certain things that helped it on its path to the European Union,” said Merkel. Merkel to call on Belgrade, Pristina to continue dialogue She noted that she was primarily referring to Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic’s arrest and their extradition to the Hague Tribunal. The German chancellor stated in a video message that the state-law actions were of great importance for dealing with crimes of the past in the region and added that without it the region could see no peace. Recalling the renewed tensions between Pristina and Belgrade, Merkel said that one of her tasks during her visit to Belgrade would be to push for resumption of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue. On August 23 Merkel will meet with Serbian President Boris Tadic, Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic and other Serbian officials. “There can be no European perspective for the region if it does not make all necessary efforts to ensure it, though deep scars of the past still have serious consequences,” Merkel said, adding that Europe had shown the region it was a peace-keeping creation. She said that Monday and Tuesday the following week she would visit the region that had often been in breaking news headlines over the previous years because of the conflicts in the countries there. She recalled, however, the conclusions of the 2003 Thessaloniki Summit that said all countries of the former Yugoslavia should be provided a European perspective. “The European prospect cannot be unconditional,” the German chancellor noted, adding that Europe should support the wish of every individual country to cooperate well with their neighbors, to solve conflicts peacefully and to respect each other. Angela Merkel (Beta, file)

Merkel to call on Belgrade, Priština to continue dialogue

She noted that she was primarily referring to Ratko Mladić and Goran Hadžić’s arrest and their extradition to the Hague Tribunal.

The German chancellor stated in a video message that the state-law actions were of great importance for dealing with crimes of the past in the region and added that without it the region could see no peace.

Recalling the renewed tensions between Priština and Belgrade, Merkel said that one of her tasks during her visit to Belgrade would be to push for resumption of the Belgrade-Priština dialogue.

On August 23 Merkel will meet with Serbian President Boris Tadić, Prime Minister Mirko Cvetković and other Serbian officials.

“There can be no European perspective for the region if it does not make all necessary efforts to ensure it, though deep scars of the past still have serious consequences,” Merkel said, adding that Europe had shown the region it was a peace-keeping creation.

She said that Monday and Tuesday the following week she would visit the region that had often been in breaking news headlines over the previous years because of the conflicts in the countries there.

She recalled, however, the conclusions of the 2003 Thessaloniki Summit that said all countries of the former Yugoslavia should be provided a European perspective.

“The European prospect cannot be unconditional,” the German chancellor noted, adding that Europe should support the wish of every individual country to cooperate well with their neighbors, to solve conflicts peacefully and to respect each other.