"Germany backs candidate application"

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is in favor of Serbia applying for EU candidate status before Dec. 25, a Belgrade daily writes. Blic newspaper reports today that Serbia's top state leadership are conducting consultations with all EU members on a date for the application to be made. "Germany backs candidate application" In this context, according to the report, "the news" that Germany thinks this should be done before the end of this year "will be important". The newspaper quotes its "well-informed diplomatic sources in Berlin" who said this decision was made "after intensive consultations in the German government that started three days ago". The daily says that "after the advice FM Vuk Jeremic received from his British counterpart David Miliband not to hesitate with the application", the German support "will be one of the more important when the state leadership decides on a date". Considering there is still "no full consensus" in the EU Council of Ministers on this issue, and that this means the fate of the application would be uncertain, Belgrade is yet to make its decision, the article continues. Jeremic said yesterday in Belgrade that the decision on the possible application for EU candidate status has not been made yet, and that Serbia is consulting on this issue with its European partners. "Membership application only if all EU members agree" Charge d'Affairs of the German embassy in Belgrade Hans-Ulrich Sudbeck told Tanjug on Thursday that Germany still thought Serbia's progress towards the EU should go step by step, and that the membership application should only be submitted once Serbia was certain that it would receive a positive answer from all 27 EU members. Germany supports Serbia's getting closer to the EU, just like Chancellor Angela Merkel said during Serbian President Boris Tadic's visit to Berlin on November 16, 2009, Sudbeck stated. He added that the German government's recommendation about the issue remained the same, meaning that Serbia should move closer to the EU one step at a time, and that the Interim Trade Agreement should be implemented before the membership application issue was raised. Sudbeck stated that Germany shared the view of Tadic, who said that the best moment to submit a membership application would be when Serbia could count on a positive answer from all 27 EU members.

"Germany backs candidate application"

In this context, according to the report, "the news" that Germany thinks this should be done before the end of this year "will be important".

The newspaper quotes its "well-informed diplomatic sources in Berlin" who said this decision was made "after intensive consultations in the German government that started three days ago".

The daily says that "after the advice FM Vuk Jeremić received from his British counterpart David Miliband not to hesitate with the application", the German support "will be one of the more important when the state leadership decides on a date".

Considering there is still "no full consensus" in the EU Council of Ministers on this issue, and that this means the fate of the application would be uncertain, Belgrade is yet to make its decision, the article continues.

Jeremić said yesterday in Belgrade that the decision on the possible application for EU candidate status has not been made yet, and that Serbia is consulting on this issue with its European partners.

"Membership application only if all EU members agree"

Charge d'Affairs of the German embassy in Belgrade Hans-Ulrich Sudbeck told Tanjug on Thursday that Germany still thought Serbia's progress towards the EU should go step by step, and that the membership application should only be submitted once Serbia was certain that it would receive a positive answer from all 27 EU members.

Germany supports Serbia's getting closer to the EU, just like Chancellor Angela Merkel said during Serbian President Boris Tadić's visit to Berlin on November 16, 2009, Sudbeck stated.

He added that the German government's recommendation about the issue remained the same, meaning that Serbia should move closer to the EU one step at a time, and that the Interim Trade Agreement should be implemented before the membership application issue was raised.

Sudbeck stated that Germany shared the view of Tadić, who said that the best moment to submit a membership application would be when Serbia could count on a positive answer from all 27 EU members.