"Trade agreement should come into force"

Olli Rehn says the interim trade agreement between the EU and Serbia should come into force after the Karadzic arrest. “Although the decision is up to the Council of Ministers, the European Commission’s (EC) view is that application of the Stabilization and Association (SAA) should begin,” the European enlargement commissioner told a joint press conference with Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic. "Trade agreement should come into force" Rehn said that EU ambassadors would consider further steps at one of their future meetings. Before the meetings, Jeremic said that the arrest of Radovan Karadzic showed that Serbia was “very serious” about the issue of its future in the EU. “Serbia's new government has a rather ambitious European agenda. We are very serious about our future in the EU and we demonstrated it yesterday,” said Jeremic. “We want to become a member state of the EU, the backbone of peace, a regional player for regional stability,” he also said. “We are truly oriented towards peace and rule of international law both in regards to our cooperation with the Hague Tribunal and our defense of our sovereignty in Kosovo,” underscored Jeremic. On Sunday, he said that Serbian ambassadors recalled from EU countries recognizing Kosovo independence would be reinstated. The minister said that they would be set a clear goal—to fight for Serbia’s EU candidate status by the end of the year. Jeremic told B92 that at the next cabinet meeting on Thursday, the Foreign Ministry would propose that the ambassadors be reinstated only in EU countries in order to strengthen Serbia's diplomatic capacity in its efforts to join the EU. According to the minister, the reason for not returning the ambassadors to all the countries was the continuing fight for the preservation of Kosovo within Serbia. Otherwise, Serbia would be left without one of its important diplomatic resources, he added. "We will not sanction the return of the ambassadors to all the countries. There is no question of reinstating the ambassador to the U.S. I do not believe that the return of Serbia's ambassador would help to change Washington's decision. Neither do I expect Serbia's ambassador to Germany to make Berlin change its stand on Kosovo, but he will be persuading them that Serbia should receive candidate status," he explained. The minister stressed that the return of ambassadors did not mean a softening of Serbia’s position. Jeremic added that ambassadors from the Democratic Party of Serbia, which was no longer in power, would not be recalled or replaced provided they carried out their duties well. The minister stressed that the implementation of the Action Plan had produced good results, explaining that Kosovo had not become a member of any international organization. He added that Serbia would present the problem of Kosovo's independence before the International Court of Justice, but explained that the UN General Assembly should raise the issue before the court, because a single state was unable to do so alone. Jeremic said that talks on UNMIK reconfiguration would start on July 23. Serbia, he added, would advocate that the future mission's mandate should not infringe Serbia's sovereignty or territorial integrity, and have neutral status. Speaking about his visit to Brussels, the minister said that the meetings would be an opportunity to examine ways of stepping up Serbia's European integration, which would enable Belgrade to receive candidate status by the end of the year. Vuk Jeremic, Olli Rehn (Beta)

"Trade agreement should come into force"

Rehn said that EU ambassadors would consider further steps at one of their future meetings.

Before the meetings, Jeremić said that the arrest of Radovan Karadžić showed that Serbia was “very serious” about the issue of its future in the EU.

“Serbia's new government has a rather ambitious European agenda. We are very serious about our future in the EU and we demonstrated it yesterday,” said Jeremić.

“We want to become a member state of the EU, the backbone of peace, a regional player for regional stability,” he also said.

“We are truly oriented towards peace and rule of international law both in regards to our cooperation with the Hague Tribunal and our defense of our sovereignty in Kosovo,” underscored Jeremić.

On Sunday, he said that Serbian ambassadors recalled from EU countries recognizing Kosovo independence would be reinstated.

The minister said that they would be set a clear goal—to fight for Serbia’s EU candidate status by the end of the year.

Jeremić told B92 that at the next cabinet meeting on Thursday, the Foreign Ministry would propose that the ambassadors be reinstated only in EU countries in order to strengthen Serbia's diplomatic capacity in its efforts to join the EU.

According to the minister, the reason for not returning the ambassadors to all the countries was the continuing fight for the preservation of Kosovo within Serbia. Otherwise, Serbia would be left without one of its important diplomatic resources, he added.

"We will not sanction the return of the ambassadors to all the countries. There is no question of reinstating the ambassador to the U.S. I do not believe that the return of Serbia's ambassador would help to change Washington's decision. Neither do I expect Serbia's ambassador to Germany to make Berlin change its stand on Kosovo, but he will be persuading them that Serbia should receive candidate status," he explained.

The minister stressed that the return of ambassadors did not mean a softening of Serbia’s position.

Jeremić added that ambassadors from the Democratic Party of Serbia, which was no longer in power, would not be recalled or replaced provided they carried out their duties well.

The minister stressed that the implementation of the Action Plan had produced good results, explaining that Kosovo had not become a member of any international organization.

He added that Serbia would present the problem of Kosovo's independence before the International Court of Justice, but explained that the UN General Assembly should raise the issue before the court, because a single state was unable to do so alone.

Jeremić said that talks on UNMIK reconfiguration would start on July 23. Serbia, he added, would advocate that the future mission's mandate should not infringe Serbia's sovereignty or territorial integrity, and have neutral status.

Speaking about his visit to Brussels, the minister said that the meetings would be an opportunity to examine ways of stepping up Serbia's European integration, which would enable Belgrade to receive candidate status by the end of the year.