EU political deal still on table

The EU is still prepared to sign the political deal with Serbia, says Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel. And, provided the necessary conditions are met, the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) itself could also be concluded, he added. EU political deal still on table If the necessary conditions are met, the SAA could be concluded between Serbia and the EU, said Rupel after the end of the meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels. In that event, “the new Serbian government would begin talks with the EU with full legitimacy on how Serbia should continue the association process with its province, Kosovo.“ Rupel said that the key question now was whether Serbia’s pro-European forces would gain the upper hand in the snap elections, and maintain the pro-European momentum. This was the minister’s reply when asked if the EU would sign the SAA before or after the elections called because of the government crisis. European Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn stressed that “Serbia now needs to make a crucial choice for a European future, or open itself to the danger of self-isolation.“ “The first option would keep Serbia on the road to stability, greater freedoms and progress, together with the other countries in the region,“ said Rehn. The other option is the “road to nowhere,“ the commissioner added, stressing that the EU strongly supported Serbia’s European path. EU High Representative Javier Solana told a press conference that the EU “really hopes“ that the elections will be one way for Serbian voters to express their yearning for European integration. According to Solana, the EU would be ready to help Serbia establish the strongest and deepest possible links with the Union. Rupel said that UNMIK had to stay at the boundary between Serbia and Kosovo, as it had tasks that it was carrying out well in line with UN Resolution 1244. UNMIK is due to be replaced by the EU mission, but this will require some time, and the transition period will require significant efforts, Rupel explained when asked if the EU believed UNMIK should remain in the north of Kosovo, as suggested by Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos. “We have supported the idea of UNMIK continue to function and maintain the boundary between Kosovo and Serbia, because of the problems we’ve had there, including the burning of border posts,“ explained the Slovenian foreign minister. Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn, however, said that the aim was for UNMIK to withdraw from Kosovo on June 14, assessing the situation in Kosovo as normal on the whole, though very difficult in the north. Solana expressed his confidence that all 27 member-states were united in their support for the UN mission to the whole of the province, stressing that the EU was trying to achieve this in cooperation with UNMIK and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. This was the high representative’s response when asked if the EU was awaiting Security Council approval to deploy its mission to Kosovo, or whether it was ready to bypass the UN The question’s subtext was a claim doing the rounds of the Union that a deal could be struck whereby the EU mission could be deployed to other parts of Kosovo, including maybe Serb enclaves, while UNMIK would remain in the area north of the Ibar river. He added that European minister had spoken of developments in Georgia and had "expressed their concern“ because of the "parallels with Kosovo“ and the views of Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States concerning Abkhazia’s claims for independence.

EU political deal still on table

If the necessary conditions are met, the SAA could be concluded between Serbia and the EU, said Rupel after the end of the meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels. In that event, “the new Serbian government would begin talks with the EU with full legitimacy on how Serbia should continue the association process with its province, Kosovo.“

Rupel said that the key question now was whether Serbia’s pro-European forces would gain the upper hand in the snap elections, and maintain the pro-European momentum.

This was the minister’s reply when asked if the EU would sign the SAA before or after the elections called because of the government crisis.

European Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn stressed that “Serbia now needs to make a crucial choice for a European future, or open itself to the danger of self-isolation.“

“The first option would keep Serbia on the road to stability, greater freedoms and progress, together with the other countries in the region,“ said Rehn.

The other option is the “road to nowhere,“ the commissioner added, stressing that the EU strongly supported Serbia’s European path.

EU High Representative Javier Solana told a press conference that the EU “really hopes“ that the elections will be one way for Serbian voters to express their yearning for European integration.

According to Solana, the EU would be ready to help Serbia establish the strongest and deepest possible links with the Union.

Rupel said that UNMIK had to stay at the boundary between Serbia and Kosovo, as it had tasks that it was carrying out well in line with UN Resolution 1244.

UNMIK is due to be replaced by the EU mission, but this will require some time, and the transition period will require significant efforts, Rupel explained when asked if the EU believed UNMIK should remain in the north of Kosovo, as suggested by Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos.

“We have supported the idea of UNMIK continue to function and maintain the boundary between Kosovo and Serbia, because of the problems we’ve had there, including the burning of border posts,“ explained the Slovenian foreign minister.

Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn, however, said that the aim was for UNMIK to withdraw from Kosovo on June 14, assessing the situation in Kosovo as normal on the whole, though very difficult in the north.

Solana expressed his confidence that all 27 member-states were united in their support for the UN mission to the whole of the province, stressing that the EU was trying to achieve this in cooperation with UNMIK and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

This was the high representative’s response when asked if the EU was awaiting Security Council approval to deploy its mission to Kosovo, or whether it was ready to bypass the UN The question’s subtext was a claim doing the rounds of the Union that a deal could be struck whereby the EU mission could be deployed to other parts of Kosovo, including maybe Serb enclaves, while UNMIK would remain in the area north of the Ibar river.

He added that European minister had spoken of developments in Georgia and had "expressed their concern“ because of the "parallels with Kosovo“ and the views of Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States concerning Abkhazia’s claims for independence.