"President has right to sign SAA"

What SAA they are talking about? I see no SAA offered but some political deal instead, which is nothing but the carrot wit the long stick. Why they are talking about something non-existent and mislead people in Serbia? Besides, what price Serbia has to pay in order to sign that SAA and what is the price that Serbia must pay to join that ridiculous bureaucracy? That is all what Mr Premier Kostunica is asking and I also as a citizen?

Mrs Minic, why would we have to care if neighbouring countries want to join the EU? Why would that be of our concern? They have right to join what ever they like but Serbia does not have to follow their path but its own. Besides, no neighbouring country was asked to give up from the part of its country in order to join EU. That much about the EU values!

As soon as EU and UN make it clear in wtitting what they consider Serbian borders are, Serbian government will rule its intentions as far as EU is concerned.

You think Serbian government has problems. Just listen to all these representatives from unfrendly countries to Serbia. The way they justify ripping Serbia appart does not come very convincing and they probably are thinking to themselves:"I don't believe I just said that". Just watch Condy Rice when she spews hatred against Serbs.

They were all instructed what to say, that is why their statements immitate one another. I hope that Tadic does not belong to this group and that he remembers his promise "Kosovo is Serbia."
Those that forget their past don't have too much of the future.

*****PLEASE HELP PEOPLE IN KOSOVO THAT HAVE TO BE ESCORTED TO THEIR CHURCHES, CEMENTARIES AND FIELDS IN ORDER TO LIVE: KOSOVO KITCHEN OR ANY OTHER ORG********

Nothing would please me more than Serbia joining the EU. I love visiting Serbia, and Belgrade although one reason, at present, is because it's not an EU state bound by all the beaurocracy that we have here.

To join the EU I fear you may have to accept the loss of Metohija and, abandon your Serbian kin in Kosovo, to Albanian rule, in Stara Serbia. I think you all need to ask yourselves, can we as a people do that? And if not, how are all Serbs to best serve the needs of the Serbian people?

Whatever Serbia decides at this point in time, and i'm fully aware of how important this period is, I think you need to do it as a united people.

So the SAA can be signed but without parliaments approval it is meaningless. Also, without Mladic, it is unlikely to be offered!

However, if an election is called then I assume this will be the big carrot waved under the noses of the Serbian people. They will come up with something like "SAA/EU or isolation"!

Because this potential vote is so significant to the EU, it may offer the SAA without Mladic.

'president' has the right to beg whoever's really in charge to arrest mladic :) and other ceremonial rights as per constitution :)

seriously, pity that under intense u.s. pressure, tadic is turning out to be a dishonorable person. tadic had his hand on the constitution when he swore he will protect the country's sovereignty. what else can a president do? now he's letting his hired g17 bulldog run around barking that the constitution really is just a tiresome heap of paper. ds is going to justly be cut to a very small size very soon. they are an absolute outrage.
as for me, i never said, kosovo after anything. i always said kosovo first. then, i want serbia to be a prosperous country and integrated, but it has to BE first. the country has to first exist to have any shape or form or policy or membership in anything.

Serbia does not have to choose between Kosovo and the EU. This is a false choice. This is what some cynical European politicians who favored Kosovo's independence tried to tell us to convince us to give up Kosovo. Now some cynical Serbian politicians are trying to tell us that to convince to give up on our rightful place in Europe. But this is logically and historically mistaken. Both Cyprus and Ireland joined the EU with their borders in dispute and without giving up on their claims to Northern Cyprus and Northern Ireland. Serbia can and should do the same.

"the constitution really is just a tiresome heap of paper. ds is going to justly be cut to a very small size very soon."

In the €U it will. Your government will be reduced to a well payed discussion club, 20% of you will be extremely rich and the rest 80% in poverty and mass unemployment or at best, in a cheap employment hub for Germany.

"isolation" means not letting the above happen. You should say, sorry, no anschluss for Serbia!

Since you asked the question what price Serbia would pay for giving up on EU integration, I'll be happy to answer it: (1) the only realistic chance at economic prosperity; (2) the only realistic road to good governance (have you taken a look at our sorry lot of leaders lately); and (3) the only realistic road to the rule of law over the rule of oligarchs and corruption.


You also ask "why would we have to care if neighbouring countries want to join the EU?" Again, happy to answer that. Because I and millions of other Serbs don't want to live again in an isolated, poor, politically autistic country as we did in the 1990s. Thanks for asking.

Bmrusia,

Let me put is straight to you.
Serbia has two choices. Either join EU on its own without Kosovo or Serbia will isolate itself with or without Russia.

Regards

"Both Cyprus and Ireland joined the EU with their borders in dispute and without giving up on their claims to Northern Cyprus and Northern Ireland. Serbia can and should do the same.
(Zet, 8 March 2008 18:47)"

Wrong,

we concluded a bilateral agreement with the UK in 1921 which fixed the borders and recognised the right of the UK to rule Northern Ireland so far as the native population agreed to it. Serbia on the otherhand has declared the UDI of Kosovo illegal as it broke International Law. No such bilateral agreement exists between Belgrade & Pristina.

I remember old times in Yugoslavia.
Members of the Communist party were frequently saying to others in opposition : "If you have an objection, come and join, and work it from inside together with us".
EU sounds familiar!

I know the country/the society is divided on that issue. But, whatwever you do, try not to start unrests or a civil war ofer it!

"As an EU member, Serbia would have the possibility to prevent other countries from becoming members, i.e. we could prevent Kosovo from joining," Tadić underscored. (Belgrade 2008/03/06)

I think, Mr. Boris Tadic will NEVER be the HERO who brings Serbia into the EU - and he will sign nothing, even not the SAA. with his definition of "community" he commited political suicide - and many states (like Croatia) will answer with the recognition of Kosovo much easier now.

"As an EU member, Serbia would have the possibility to prevent other countries from becoming members, i.e. we could prevent Kosovo from joining," Tadić underscored. (Belgrade 2008/03/06)

Mr. Tadic, how can you prevent Kosovo membership if Kosovo join EU before Serbia or at the same time?

Bmrusia,

Let me put is straight to you.
Serbia has two choices. Either join EU on its own without Kosovo or Serbia will isolate itself with or without Russia.

Regards

Since you asked the question what price Serbia would pay for giving up on EU integration, I'll be happy to answer it: (1) the only realistic chance at economic prosperity; (2) the only realistic road to good governance (have you taken a look at our sorry lot of leaders lately); and (3) the only realistic road to the rule of law over the rule of oligarchs and corruption.


You also ask "why would we have to care if neighbouring countries want to join the EU?" Again, happy to answer that. Because I and millions of other Serbs don't want to live again in an isolated, poor, politically autistic country as we did in the 1990s. Thanks for asking.

I know the country/the society is divided on that issue. But, whatwever you do, try not to start unrests or a civil war ofer it!

Nothing would please me more than Serbia joining the EU. I love visiting Serbia, and Belgrade although one reason, at present, is because it's not an EU state bound by all the beaurocracy that we have here.

To join the EU I fear you may have to accept the loss of Metohija and, abandon your Serbian kin in Kosovo, to Albanian rule, in Stara Serbia. I think you all need to ask yourselves, can we as a people do that? And if not, how are all Serbs to best serve the needs of the Serbian people?

Whatever Serbia decides at this point in time, and i'm fully aware of how important this period is, I think you need to do it as a united people.

What SAA they are talking about? I see no SAA offered but some political deal instead, which is nothing but the carrot wit the long stick. Why they are talking about something non-existent and mislead people in Serbia? Besides, what price Serbia has to pay in order to sign that SAA and what is the price that Serbia must pay to join that ridiculous bureaucracy? That is all what Mr Premier Kostunica is asking and I also as a citizen?

Mrs Minic, why would we have to care if neighbouring countries want to join the EU? Why would that be of our concern? They have right to join what ever they like but Serbia does not have to follow their path but its own. Besides, no neighbouring country was asked to give up from the part of its country in order to join EU. That much about the EU values!

So the SAA can be signed but without parliaments approval it is meaningless. Also, without Mladic, it is unlikely to be offered!

However, if an election is called then I assume this will be the big carrot waved under the noses of the Serbian people. They will come up with something like "SAA/EU or isolation"!

Because this potential vote is so significant to the EU, it may offer the SAA without Mladic.

'president' has the right to beg whoever's really in charge to arrest mladic :) and other ceremonial rights as per constitution :)

seriously, pity that under intense u.s. pressure, tadic is turning out to be a dishonorable person. tadic had his hand on the constitution when he swore he will protect the country's sovereignty. what else can a president do? now he's letting his hired g17 bulldog run around barking that the constitution really is just a tiresome heap of paper. ds is going to justly be cut to a very small size very soon. they are an absolute outrage.
as for me, i never said, kosovo after anything. i always said kosovo first. then, i want serbia to be a prosperous country and integrated, but it has to BE first. the country has to first exist to have any shape or form or policy or membership in anything.

As soon as EU and UN make it clear in wtitting what they consider Serbian borders are, Serbian government will rule its intentions as far as EU is concerned.

You think Serbian government has problems. Just listen to all these representatives from unfrendly countries to Serbia. The way they justify ripping Serbia appart does not come very convincing and they probably are thinking to themselves:"I don't believe I just said that". Just watch Condy Rice when she spews hatred against Serbs.

They were all instructed what to say, that is why their statements immitate one another. I hope that Tadic does not belong to this group and that he remembers his promise "Kosovo is Serbia."
Those that forget their past don't have too much of the future.

*****PLEASE HELP PEOPLE IN KOSOVO THAT HAVE TO BE ESCORTED TO THEIR CHURCHES, CEMENTARIES AND FIELDS IN ORDER TO LIVE: KOSOVO KITCHEN OR ANY OTHER ORG********

"the constitution really is just a tiresome heap of paper. ds is going to justly be cut to a very small size very soon."

In the €U it will. Your government will be reduced to a well payed discussion club, 20% of you will be extremely rich and the rest 80% in poverty and mass unemployment or at best, in a cheap employment hub for Germany.

"isolation" means not letting the above happen. You should say, sorry, no anschluss for Serbia!

Serbia does not have to choose between Kosovo and the EU. This is a false choice. This is what some cynical European politicians who favored Kosovo's independence tried to tell us to convince us to give up Kosovo. Now some cynical Serbian politicians are trying to tell us that to convince to give up on our rightful place in Europe. But this is logically and historically mistaken. Both Cyprus and Ireland joined the EU with their borders in dispute and without giving up on their claims to Northern Cyprus and Northern Ireland. Serbia can and should do the same.

I remember old times in Yugoslavia.
Members of the Communist party were frequently saying to others in opposition : "If you have an objection, come and join, and work it from inside together with us".
EU sounds familiar!

"Both Cyprus and Ireland joined the EU with their borders in dispute and without giving up on their claims to Northern Cyprus and Northern Ireland. Serbia can and should do the same.
(Zet, 8 March 2008 18:47)"

Wrong,

we concluded a bilateral agreement with the UK in 1921 which fixed the borders and recognised the right of the UK to rule Northern Ireland so far as the native population agreed to it. Serbia on the otherhand has declared the UDI of Kosovo illegal as it broke International Law. No such bilateral agreement exists between Belgrade & Pristina.

"As an EU member, Serbia would have the possibility to prevent other countries from becoming members, i.e. we could prevent Kosovo from joining," Tadić underscored. (Belgrade 2008/03/06)

I think, Mr. Boris Tadic will NEVER be the HERO who brings Serbia into the EU - and he will sign nothing, even not the SAA. with his definition of "community" he commited political suicide - and many states (like Croatia) will answer with the recognition of Kosovo much easier now.

"As an EU member, Serbia would have the possibility to prevent other countries from becoming members, i.e. we could prevent Kosovo from joining," Tadić underscored. (Belgrade 2008/03/06)

Mr. Tadic, how can you prevent Kosovo membership if Kosovo join EU before Serbia or at the same time?