Rehn against freezing of Balkans plans

EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn says the EU should not postpone the plans for accession of the Western Balkan countries. A delay was proposed by the party of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Radio Deutsche Welle reported on Tuesday. Rehn against freezing of Balkans plans Rehn believes that the economic crisis and efforts to ratify the Lisbon Agreement on institutional reforms within the EU should not affect the bloc's efforts to expand. The EU may simultaneously address a number of issues, Rehn said in Brussels after yesterday's meeting with foreign ministers of Slovenia and Croatia Samuel Zbogar and Gordan Jandrokovic, underscoring that the prospects of membership in the EU had contributed to the political stability and economic reforms in the Western Balkans. At the Monday meeting of the Presidency of Merkel's Christian Democratic Party (CDU), she said that the EU needs a consolidation phase before it admits new members. The CDU officially supports accession of Croatia only, while Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro will have to wait, Merkel said. "It depends on Serbia" Czech Ambassador to Serbia Hana Hubackova said on Wednesday that her country, which is currently holds the European Union presidency, believes it is important that Serbia should realize full cooperation with the Hague Tribunal, but said that this does not necessarily imply the extradition of the two remaining indictees, Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic. "Serbia must do everything to prove that it is doing its utmost to secure the arrest of these two indictees and their extradition, because the process of integrations with Europe would in that case proceed much more swiftly," Hubackova said in a lecture at the Belgrade Academy of Diplomacy and Security. The ambassador said she is confident that Serbia will advance swiftly in the process of accession to the EU and that it will soon submit a request for the status of a candidate-country for EU membership. Serbia is an important part of the process of the accession of all countries of the western Balkans to the union, she said.

Rehn against freezing of Balkans plans

Rehn believes that the economic crisis and efforts to ratify the Lisbon Agreement on institutional reforms within the EU should not affect the bloc's efforts to expand.

The EU may simultaneously address a number of issues, Rehn said in Brussels after yesterday's meeting with foreign ministers of Slovenia and Croatia Samuel Žbogar and Gordan Jandroković, underscoring that the prospects of membership in the EU had contributed to the political stability and economic reforms in the Western Balkans.

At the Monday meeting of the Presidency of Merkel's Christian Democratic Party (CDU), she said that the EU needs a consolidation phase before it admits new members.

The CDU officially supports accession of Croatia only, while Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro will have to wait, Merkel said.

"It depends on Serbia"

Czech Ambassador to Serbia Hana Hubačkova said on Wednesday that her country, which is currently holds the European Union presidency, believes it is important that Serbia should realize full cooperation with the Hague Tribunal, but said that this does not necessarily imply the extradition of the two remaining indictees, Ratko Mladić and Goran Hadžić.

"Serbia must do everything to prove that it is doing its utmost to secure the arrest of these two indictees and their extradition, because the process of integrations with Europe would in that case proceed much more swiftly," Hubačkova said in a lecture at the Belgrade Academy of Diplomacy and Security.

The ambassador said she is confident that Serbia will advance swiftly in the process of accession to the EU and that it will soon submit a request for the status of a candidate-country for EU membership.

Serbia is an important part of the process of the accession of all countries of the western Balkans to the union, she said.