EU delays deal, points finger at Koštunica

EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn has confirmed that an agreement with Belgrade was deferred. The European Union on Jan. 28 decided not to allow Serbia to sign the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA), citing insufficient cooperation with the Hague Tribunal. EU delays deal, points finger at Kostunica Instead, Brussels offered Belgrade a "political agreement" that was dubbed "interim" by the media, and set Feb. 7 as the date for its signing. But on Monday, the same day the EU sent the text of the agreement to the government, it decided to approve plans for its Kosovo mission that Belgrade opposes as illegal. This brought the government to the brink of collapse, with President Boris Tadic's Democrats (DS) and Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica's Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) taking opposing stands. Today Rehn told reporters in Brussels that the European Commission has "expressed regret" over what it describes as "obstruction of the agreement" by Kostunica. The signing is delayed, the commissioner continued, "because one party, Premier Vojislav Kostunica's Democratic Party of Serbia, is refusing to sign it." "This is very strange since Kostunica recently intervened not to have Serbia's progress toward the EU halted, while now the Serbian prime minister has turned his back to what he stood for," Rehn was quoted by Beta news agency. "The EU deeply regrets that some politicians in Serbia did not hear the message from Sunday's elections. That is a great pity and represents an obstacle for their own progress," he said, and added that the agreement was "still on the table, for when Serbia is ready to sign it". Rehn explained that while Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic was given the authority by the cabinet to sign the SAA, the new deal fell outside that mandate, and that "one party, the DSS", refused to sign it. The commissioner also welcomed Tadic's re-election in the presidential ballot and said this demonstrated that "Serbians wanted a European future and better lives." He stressed that "Serbia has almost completely" met its Hague obligations and that he will once again ask the EU foreign policy chiefs, when they meet in Brussels on Feb. 18, to allow the country to sign the SAA. As for the controversial plans to send a mission to Kosovo to replace UNMIK, without approval from the UN Security Council, Rehn said he did not believe that the latest developments would postpone that decision, but added that this was up to the EU foreign ministers. Rehn talks to reporters in Brussels today (Beta) Jansa: EU agreement may be deferred Earlier, Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa said that Serbia is "not certain to sign the EU agreement." “If that happens, we’ll be disappointed, but a few days do not represent a serious delay in a strategic sense,” he said. The Slovenian prime minister spoke last night in Ljubljana with Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, after which they held a press conference. “Signing the agreement is not certain,” said Jansa, adding that he had spoken with President Boris Tadic, who had hinted that he might not be able to carry out the necessary procedures to get the government or parliament to approve signature of the agreement. Jansa, whose country currently chairs the EU, expressed his hope that Serbia would sign the political deal on Thursday, approved by the Slovenian government. By offering Serbia that deal, the EU is somehow trying to show that the doors to EU entry are open and “the contents of the agreement are an attempt to encourage pro-European forces in Serbia to make the decisive steps that are necessary at this point,“ he added. The Slovenian prime minister said that “the presidential elections in Serbia showed that the EU’s message had been positively received, but that the EU felt that such a step required some more time at this stage, and that it’s very possible that signing will be deferred, though we haven’t yet lost all hope.“ Karamanlis stressed moreover that it was very important for the EU to preserve the region’s European prospects: “The EU must participate in including Serbia within Europe.“ “Greece and Slovenia advocate a solution concerning Kosovo’s future status that will stabilize the region in the long term, and keep the EU united,” said Jansa. He stressed that the two prime ministers welcomed the outcome of the Serbian elections where the country had chosen to continue its path towards Europe. “We believe,” he said, “that events relating to defining Kosovo’s final status will have a positive bearing on opportunities in the region, so that the European prospects of the west Balkan states will strengthen, and that the region will be more stable come the end of the Slovenian EU presidency.”

EU delays deal, points finger at Koštunica

Instead, Brussels offered Belgrade a "political agreement" that was dubbed "interim" by the media, and set Feb. 7 as the date for its signing.

But on Monday, the same day the EU sent the text of the agreement to the government, it decided to approve plans for its Kosovo mission that Belgrade opposes as illegal.

This brought the government to the brink of collapse, with President Boris Tadić's Democrats (DS) and Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica's Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) taking opposing stands.

Today Rehn told reporters in Brussels that the European Commission has "expressed regret" over what it describes as "obstruction of the agreement" by Koštunica.

The signing is delayed, the commissioner continued, "because one party, Premier Vojislav Koštunica's Democratic Party of Serbia, is refusing to sign it."

"This is very strange since Koštunica recently intervened not to have Serbia's progress toward the EU halted, while now the Serbian prime minister has turned his back to what he stood for," Rehn was quoted by Beta news agency.

"The EU deeply regrets that some politicians in Serbia did not hear the message from Sunday's elections. That is a great pity and represents an obstacle for their own progress," he said, and added that the agreement was "still on the table, for when Serbia is ready to sign it".

Rehn explained that while Deputy Prime Minister Božidar Đelić was given the authority by the cabinet to sign the SAA, the new deal fell outside that mandate, and that "one party, the DSS", refused to sign it.

The commissioner also welcomed Tadić's re-election in the presidential ballot and said this demonstrated that "Serbians wanted a European future and better lives."

He stressed that "Serbia has almost completely" met its Hague obligations and that he will once again ask the EU foreign policy chiefs, when they meet in Brussels on Feb. 18, to allow the country to sign the SAA.

As for the controversial plans to send a mission to Kosovo to replace UNMIK, without approval from the UN Security Council, Rehn said he did not believe that the latest developments would postpone that decision, but added that this was up to the EU foreign ministers.

Janša: EU agreement may be deferred

Earlier, Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša said that Serbia is "not certain to sign the EU agreement."

“If that happens, we’ll be disappointed, but a few days do not represent a serious delay in a strategic sense,” he said.

The Slovenian prime minister spoke last night in Ljubljana with Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, after which they held a press conference.

“Signing the agreement is not certain,” said Janša, adding that he had spoken with President Boris Tadić, who had hinted that he might not be able to carry out the necessary procedures to get the government or parliament to approve signature of the agreement.

Janša, whose country currently chairs the EU, expressed his hope that Serbia would sign the political deal on Thursday, approved by the Slovenian government.

By offering Serbia that deal, the EU is somehow trying to show that the doors to EU entry are open and “the contents of the agreement are an attempt to encourage pro-European forces in Serbia to make the decisive steps that are necessary at this point,“ he added.

The Slovenian prime minister said that “the presidential elections in Serbia showed that the EU’s message had been positively received, but that the EU felt that such a step required some more time at this stage, and that it’s very possible that signing will be deferred, though we haven’t yet lost all hope.“

Karamanlis stressed moreover that it was very important for the EU to preserve the region’s European prospects: “The EU must participate in including Serbia within Europe.“

“Greece and Slovenia advocate a solution concerning Kosovo’s future status that will stabilize the region in the long term, and keep the EU united,” said Janša.

He stressed that the two prime ministers welcomed the outcome of the Serbian elections where the country had chosen to continue its path towards Europe.

“We believe,” he said, “that events relating to defining Kosovo’s final status will have a positive bearing on opportunities in the region, so that the European prospects of the west Balkan states will strengthen, and that the region will be more stable come the end of the Slovenian EU presidency.”