Đelić: EU candidacy this year

Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic says Serbia will submit an official application for EU membership later this year. Speaking from London after a meeting with UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband and Minister for Europe Carolyn Flint, Djelic said that Serbia would “certainly apply for EU membership this year.” Djelic: EU candidacy this year Flint stated that London continued to support Belgrade’s European ambitions and added that Serbia had advanced in reforms and cooperation with the Hague Tribunal. “We want to apply for EU membership in a dialogue with our European partners. We have considered the opinions of big EU members, like the UK. It is clear that they would like anything on that front to happen after European Parliamentary elections, scheduled for the beginning of June,” said Djelic. According to the deputy prime minister, London is in favor of unfreezing Serbia’s Interim Trade Agreement with the EU. Djelic said he had asked for London’s backing for Serbia’s initiative to see the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the European Investment Bank and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development support programs that would enable the Western Balkans to weather the world economic crisis as smoothly as possible. The proposal is to use part of the EUR 24.5bn stimulus plan, announced by the European Investment Bank , the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the World Bank, to support banks from Serbia and the Western Balkans. A second element is to supply financing for the construction of Corridor 10 and energy sector projects, said Djelic. He added that an initiative for a bilateral agreement between the UK and Serbia on cooperation in combating organized crime had also been launched. Bozidar Djelic (FoNet, archive)

Đelić: EU candidacy this year

Flint stated that London continued to support Belgrade’s European ambitions and added that Serbia had advanced in reforms and cooperation with the Hague Tribunal.

“We want to apply for EU membership in a dialogue with our European partners. We have considered the opinions of big EU members, like the UK. It is clear that they would like anything on that front to happen after European Parliamentary elections, scheduled for the beginning of June,” said Đelić.

According to the deputy prime minister, London is in favor of unfreezing Serbia’s Interim Trade Agreement with the EU.

Đelić said he had asked for London’s backing for Serbia’s initiative to see the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the European Investment Bank and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development support programs that would enable the Western Balkans to weather the world economic crisis as smoothly as possible.

The proposal is to use part of the EUR 24.5bn stimulus plan, announced by the European Investment Bank , the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the World Bank, to support banks from Serbia and the Western Balkans. A second element is to supply financing for the construction of Corridor 10 and energy sector projects, said Đelić.

He added that an initiative for a bilateral agreement between the UK and Serbia on cooperation in combating organized crime had also been launched.