President receives British foreign minister

BELGRADE Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic conferred in Belgrade on Thursday with British Foreign Secretary William Hague. Hague will also meet with Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic later in the day. President receives British foreign minister A statement from Nikolic's office said that he and his guest agreed that it was necessary to settle all issues between Belgrade and Pristina through talks. Nikolic stressed Serbia was prepared to continue its reforms and meet the EU's requirements for the sake of joining the EU and its own interest, while Hague confirmed that London was still strongly in favor of enlargement. Serbia entered the final stage of the talks with Pristina after the meeting between Ivica Dacic and Hashim Thaci in Brussels last week, said Nikolic. Serbia is prepared to make many compromises in order to solve the issue of Kosovo, but it will expect the same from the Albanian side, he underscored. Serbia is willing to accept all solutions that improve the life of the people in Kosovo and are in line with Serbia's Constitution, Nikolic noted, the president's press service has released. Serbia is ready for EU membership and for that goal, but also out of its own interest, it is determined to complete the judiciary reform, establish the full rule of law and stability of government institutions and deal with crime and corruption, which are the conditions set by the EU, Nikolic pointed out. Hague welcomed the resolve Serbia displayed on its EU path. He said his country was "a strong advocate of the EU's enlargement" and that it wanted all of the region's countries to join the EU, so it was willing "to help build the best possible relations between Balkan countries". Hague arrived in Belgrade from Pristina where he met with Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga, Prime Minister Hashim Thaci, Deputy Prime Minister Slobodan Petrovic and Interior Minister Enver Hodzaj and other officials. During his visit to Pristina, the British minister said that "Europe is definite" and that "there can be no adjustments in the borders". The British minister is visiting Belgrade as a part of his visit to the region and to "encourage Serbian leaders to work on normalization of relations with Kosovo and fulfill criteria for the EU accession", reports said earlier. “Hague wants to encourage Serbian leaders, especially after positive assessment of the meeting between Serbian and Kosovo PMs in Brussels, to continue and direct their energy and attention toward further progress when it comes to the normalization of relations with Kosovo,” British Ambassador to Serbia Michael Davenport told Beta news agency. (Tanjug) "Good and not easy" First Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Aleksandar Vucic said late Thursday that his meeting with Britain's Foreign Minister William Hague was good and successful, but not easy. Vucic told the press at the Serbian parliament building that he had an almost two hour long conversation with Hague, and that they discussed Kosovo and Metohija, EU integration, investments and the fight against corruption. Asked whether they talked about Hague's view he expressed in Pristina, that "there will be no border change in the Balkans", Vucic replied negatively. "We discussed Serbia's obligations, what Serbia expects, what its wishes and intentions are," he pointed out. As Vucic put it, Serbia has its Constitution and laws, but also strong desire to obtain a date for the beginning of EU accession talks in June. "I tried, as in all such meetings, to behave rationally and see what is the most we can get, and how to lose the least, at the same time respecting international legal standards, and, of course, the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia," Vucic concluded. Beta Tanjug

President receives British foreign minister

A statement from Nikolić's office said that he and his guest agreed that it was necessary to settle all issues between Belgrade and Priština through talks.

Nikolić stressed Serbia was prepared to continue its reforms and meet the EU's requirements for the sake of joining the EU and its own interest, while Hague confirmed that London was still strongly in favor of enlargement.

Serbia entered the final stage of the talks with Priština after the meeting between Ivica Dačić and Hashim Thaci in Brussels last week, said Nikolić.

Serbia is prepared to make many compromises in order to solve the issue of Kosovo, but it will expect the same from the Albanian side, he underscored.

Serbia is willing to accept all solutions that improve the life of the people in Kosovo and are in line with Serbia's Constitution, Nikolić noted, the president's press service has released.

Serbia is ready for EU membership and for that goal, but also out of its own interest, it is determined to complete the judiciary reform, establish the full rule of law and stability of government institutions and deal with crime and corruption, which are the conditions set by the EU, Nikolić pointed out.

Hague welcomed the resolve Serbia displayed on its EU path.

He said his country was "a strong advocate of the EU's enlargement" and that it wanted all of the region's countries to join the EU, so it was willing "to help build the best possible relations between Balkan countries".

Hague arrived in Belgrade from Priština where he met with Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga, Prime Minister Hashim Thaci, Deputy Prime Minister Slobodan Petrović and Interior Minister Enver Hodzaj and other officials.

During his visit to Priština, the British minister said that "Europe is definite" and that "there can be no adjustments in the borders".

The British minister is visiting Belgrade as a part of his visit to the region and to "encourage Serbian leaders to work on normalization of relations with Kosovo and fulfill criteria for the EU accession", reports said earlier.

“Hague wants to encourage Serbian leaders, especially after positive assessment of the meeting between Serbian and Kosovo PMs in Brussels, to continue and direct their energy and attention toward further progress when it comes to the normalization of relations with Kosovo,” British Ambassador to Serbia Michael Davenport told Beta news agency.

"Good and not easy"

First Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Aleksandar Vučić said late Thursday that his meeting with Britain's Foreign Minister William Hague was good and successful, but not easy.

Vučić told the press at the Serbian parliament building that he had an almost two hour long conversation with Hague, and that they discussed Kosovo and Metohija, EU integration, investments and the fight against corruption.

Asked whether they talked about Hague's view he expressed in Priština, that "there will be no border change in the Balkans", Vučić replied negatively.

"We discussed Serbia's obligations, what Serbia expects, what its wishes and intentions are," he pointed out.

As Vučić put it, Serbia has its Constitution and laws, but also strong desire to obtain a date for the beginning of EU accession talks in June.

"I tried, as in all such meetings, to behave rationally and see what is the most we can get, and how to lose the least, at the same time respecting international legal standards, and, of course, the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia," Vučić concluded.