Belgian MFA: "SAA in fact status neutral"

The Belgian embassy says the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) the EU has signed with Serbia is "in fact status neutral" when it comes to Kosovo. The embassy released a statement issued by the foreign ministry in Brussels, in the wake of fresh political fury in Serbia over the contents of the SAA, sparked by Belgian Foreign Minister Karel de Gucht's comments yesterday that the deal was signed with Serbia, but understanding that the country is without Kosovo as its part. Belgian MFA: "SAA in fact status neutral" "Belgium wishes to stress that the signing of the SAA is a clear sign of our belief that Serbia's future is in Europe," the statement today said. The press release also "reminded that the SAA was initialed by Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica's government in November 2007", and added that "Belgium's signing of the SAA with Serbia does nor preclude the position of other EU countries that have not recognized Kosovo's independence". De Gucht told Tanjug last night that Brussels believed it had signed the SAA last week with Serbia, without Kosovo. “My understanding is that we’ve only signed the agreement with Serbia itself, without Kosovo,” said De Gucht. Belgium has recognized Kosovo’s unilateral independence declaration of February 24, and together with Holland opposed the signing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with Serbia until the last meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg. At the meeting on April 29, the Union decided after all to offer Serbia the agreement. De Gucht stressed that the aim of the signing was to send “a positive signal” to Serbian citizens about the EU’s intentions. The Belgian foreign minister said that his country and neighboring Holland had managed to defer application of the document until Serbia achieved full cooperation with the Hague Tribunal. Application of the SAA will only become possible once the EU Council of Ministers takes a new decision to confirm Belgrade’s full cooperation with the Hague, he stressed. Reacting to this statement, Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic of the Democratic Party (DS) said that the agreement treated Kosovo in line with Security Council Resolution 1244, and that De Gucht’s remark was made with domestic political purposes in mind. “Certain countries (Belgium and Holland) that vehemently opposed the signing of the SAA were split, and their governments now have their own internal political problems. I would regard this statement in the only possible manner, as internal political problems,“ Jeremic told Tanjug, in reaction to the Belgian foreign minister’s comments. “The Serbian government was entirely clear about its position that it viewed Kosovo as a constituent part of its territory, and that’s a policy that won’t change regardless of who wins the referendum on the EU on May 11,” stressed the minister. However, Kosovo Minister and Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) MP Slobodan Samardzic said last night that De Gucht’s remarks “confirmed the DSS and the prime minister’s view” that signing the SAA meant signing away Kosovo too. “De Gucht says openly that Brussels signed the agreement with Serbia minus Kosovo,” said Samardzic, summing up the Belgian foreign minister’s comments in a statement to Tanjug. The Kosovo minister added that he saw at least two problems in those comments. “Firstly, what right do EU representatives and the Council of Ministers—of which De Gucht is a member—have to sign an agreement that strips Serbia of a part of its territory? The second problem is , what right do Serbian officials have to sign that self same agreement?“ he wondered. “Following De Gucht’s remarks, it is clear that the SAA, rather than being an agreement designed to take Serbia into European integration, is actually a mask to cover the EU’s efforts to create a NATO state in Kosovo,” said Samardzic. “If, after De Gucht’s remarks, certain officials continue to deny this or pretend not to see this, that is then a matter of political morals. But today, it has become entirely clear to the Serbian public that that agreement which itself has not come into force, is all part of [President and DS leader] Boris Tadic’s party’s election campaign,“ underlined the Kosovo minister. SAA, the signing ceremony(FoNet) EU: SAA status neutral The Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) is status neutral as far as Kosovo is concerned, says Javier Solana’s spokeswoman Cristina Gallach. “The SAA is status neutral, as was stated last Tuesday (April 29) after the signing of the document in Luxembourg,” Gallach said in Brussels late last night, when asked to comment on a statement from Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht that Brussels understood that it was signing the SAA with Serbia, without Kosovo. “For us in the EU, and I am not speaking about any particular EU member states, the SAA is status neutral,” the EU high representative said following the signing of the SAA with Serbia. It is not the EU itself, but rather the Union's individual member states, that can recognize Kosovo's independence, as stated on February 18, a day after the Kosovo Albanians’ unilateral independence declaration. Belgian FM’s comments “degrading to Serbia” DSS spokesman Andreja Mladenovic says the comments made by Belgian Foreign Minister Karel de Gucht are “degrading to Serbia.” Mladenovic said that the remarks “are a public degradation of Serbia, because they infer that Belgrade signed an international agreement referring to a crippled Serbia without Kosovo.” “We would like to tell the Belgians that Tadic and Djelic’s signatures are not the signatures of Serbia, but a personal thing done by those two, and that this is their disgrace, and not the disgrace or degradation of Serbia,” the Democratic Party of Serbia (SAA) spokesman insisted. He reiterated that Belgium had already illegally recognized the fake state of Kosovo, adding that “De Gucht shouldn't rejoice yet that Serbia has done the same with Tadic and Djelic’s signatures.” Mladenovic said that he was convinced that the new parliament and government would annul the “meaningless and pathetic signature that Tadic and Djelic have given for Kosovo’s independence on Solana’s agreement.” “Serbia will never recognize Tadic and Djelic’s signatures, and Serbia will never recognize Kosovo’s independence. We would like to tell De Gucht and Tadic that Kosovo is Serbia,” Mladenovic concluded.

Belgian MFA: "SAA in fact status neutral"

"Belgium wishes to stress that the signing of the SAA is a clear sign of our belief that Serbia's future is in Europe," the statement today said.

The press release also "reminded that the SAA was initialed by Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica's government in November 2007", and added that "Belgium's signing of the SAA with Serbia does nor preclude the position of other EU countries that have not recognized Kosovo's independence".

De Gucht told Tanjug last night that Brussels believed it had signed the SAA last week with Serbia, without Kosovo.

“My understanding is that we’ve only signed the agreement with Serbia itself, without Kosovo,” said De Gucht.

Belgium has recognized Kosovo’s unilateral independence declaration of February 24, and together with Holland opposed the signing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with Serbia until the last meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg.

At the meeting on April 29, the Union decided after all to offer Serbia the agreement.

De Gucht stressed that the aim of the signing was to send “a positive signal” to Serbian citizens about the EU’s intentions.

The Belgian foreign minister said that his country and neighboring Holland had managed to defer application of the document until Serbia achieved full cooperation with the Hague Tribunal.

Application of the SAA will only become possible once the EU Council of Ministers takes a new decision to confirm Belgrade’s full cooperation with the Hague, he stressed.

Reacting to this statement, Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić of the Democratic Party (DS) said that the agreement treated Kosovo in line with Security Council Resolution 1244, and that De Gucht’s remark was made with domestic political purposes in mind.

“Certain countries (Belgium and Holland) that vehemently opposed the signing of the SAA were split, and their governments now have their own internal political problems. I would regard this statement in the only possible manner, as internal political problems,“ Jeremić told Tanjug, in reaction to the Belgian foreign minister’s comments.

“The Serbian government was entirely clear about its position that it viewed Kosovo as a constituent part of its territory, and that’s a policy that won’t change regardless of who wins the referendum on the EU on May 11,” stressed the minister.

However, Kosovo Minister and Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) MP Slobodan Samardžić said last night that De Gucht’s remarks “confirmed the DSS and the prime minister’s view” that signing the SAA meant signing away Kosovo too.

“De Gucht says openly that Brussels signed the agreement with Serbia minus Kosovo,” said Samardžić, summing up the Belgian foreign minister’s comments in a statement to Tanjug.

The Kosovo minister added that he saw at least two problems in those comments.

“Firstly, what right do EU representatives and the Council of Ministers—of which De Gucht is a member—have to sign an agreement that strips Serbia of a part of its territory? The second problem is , what right do Serbian officials have to sign that self same agreement?“ he wondered.

“Following De Gucht’s remarks, it is clear that the SAA, rather than being an agreement designed to take Serbia into European integration, is actually a mask to cover the EU’s efforts to create a NATO state in Kosovo,” said Samardžić.

“If, after De Gucht’s remarks, certain officials continue to deny this or pretend not to see this, that is then a matter of political morals. But today, it has become entirely clear to the Serbian public that that agreement which itself has not come into force, is all part of [President and DS leader] Boris Tadić’s party’s election campaign,“ underlined the Kosovo minister.

EU: SAA status neutral

The Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) is status neutral as far as Kosovo is concerned, says Javier Solana’s spokeswoman Cristina Gallach.

“The SAA is status neutral, as was stated last Tuesday (April 29) after the signing of the document in Luxembourg,” Gallach said in Brussels late last night, when asked to comment on a statement from Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht that Brussels understood that it was signing the SAA with Serbia, without Kosovo.

“For us in the EU, and I am not speaking about any particular EU member states, the SAA is status neutral,” the EU high representative said following the signing of the SAA with Serbia.

It is not the EU itself, but rather the Union's individual member states, that can recognize Kosovo's independence, as stated on February 18, a day after the Kosovo Albanians’ unilateral independence declaration.

Belgian FM’s comments “degrading to Serbia”

DSS spokesman Andreja Mladenović says the comments made by Belgian Foreign Minister Karel de Gucht are “degrading to Serbia.”

Mladenović said that the remarks “are a public degradation of Serbia, because they infer that Belgrade signed an international agreement referring to a crippled Serbia without Kosovo.”

“We would like to tell the Belgians that Tadić and Đelić’s signatures are not the signatures of Serbia, but a personal thing done by those two, and that this is their disgrace, and not the disgrace or degradation of Serbia,” the Democratic Party of Serbia (SAA) spokesman insisted.

He reiterated that Belgium had already illegally recognized the fake state of Kosovo, adding that “De Gucht shouldn't rejoice yet that Serbia has done the same with Tadić and Đelić’s signatures.”

Mladenović said that he was convinced that the new parliament and government would annul the “meaningless and pathetic signature that Tadić and Đelić have given for Kosovo’s independence on Solana’s agreement.”

“Serbia will never recognize Tadić and Đelić’s signatures, and Serbia will never recognize Kosovo’s independence. We would like to tell De Gucht and Tadić that Kosovo is Serbia,” Mladenović concluded.