Dutch foreign minister visits Belgrade

Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen was in Belgrade this Wednesday for meetings with President Boris Tadic and Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic. The Netherlands has faith in Serbia’s European future, but it is still essential to continue the cooperation with the Hague Tribunal, Verhagen said after his meeting with Jeremic. Dutch foreign minister visits Belgrade He congratulated his Serbian counterpart on “efforts Serbia was making in cooperation with the tribunal”. The Serbian foreign minister said that Belgrade would remain dedicated to the cooperation with the Hague Tribunal until it was completed. “I assured Verhagen that Brammertz’s next report could only be better than the last one,” Jeremic said. He also expressed his satisfaction with the Dutch support to EU's enlargement which includes countries of the Western Balkans. “I hope this trend will continue in future,” the minister pointed out. Jeremic also stated that relations between Serbia and the Netherlands were good but that there was a lot of room for improvement, pointing out that they will especially concentrate on economic ties next year. Ahead of his trip to Serbia, Verhagen told B92 that he would tell Serbia's president and government that the Netherlands was convinced Serbia had a European future and that his country was ready to support Belgrade on that road, "even financially". "I will reiterate that it is of exceptional importance for Serbia to cooperate with the Hague Tribunal and the best example of that cooperation remains the arrest of the last Hague fugitives, including [Ratko] Mladic," said he. Speaking about Serbia's EU candidate status application, Verhagen said that while this decision lies with the authorities in Belgrade, it should be taken "step by step", and mentioned the ratification of the SAA – which his country is blocking – as one of those steps. The Dutch minister was due to arrive here in July, but that visit was postponed after Serbian official said it would focus on the unblocking of the EU integration processes and Hague cooperation. The Netherlands interpreted this as "pressure exerted by Serbia". Jeremic and Verhagen in Belgrade today (Beta) Tadic, Verhagen meet President Boris Tadic met with Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen on Wednesday to discuss the two countries' bilateral relations, Serbia's European integration and its cooperation with the Hague Tribunal. Tadic said that the bilateral relations between the two countries had improved, but that there was still a lot of room for their further strengthening, especially in the economic sphere. Referring to the cooperation with the Hague, Tadic stressed that Serbia would continue doing everything in its power to find, arrest and transport to The Hague the remaining two indictees, the president's press service announced. Tadic and Verhagen discussed Serbia's European integration, stressing that all Western Balkan countries should become EU members. The president said that Serbia would apply for EU membership at the most opportune moment. Serbia's Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic and Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic also attended the meeting.

Dutch foreign minister visits Belgrade

He congratulated his Serbian counterpart on “efforts Serbia was making in cooperation with the tribunal”.

The Serbian foreign minister said that Belgrade would remain dedicated to the cooperation with the Hague Tribunal until it was completed.

“I assured Verhagen that Brammertz’s next report could only be better than the last one,” Jeremić said.

He also expressed his satisfaction with the Dutch support to EU's enlargement which includes countries of the Western Balkans.

“I hope this trend will continue in future,” the minister pointed out.

Jeremić also stated that relations between Serbia and the Netherlands were good but that there was a lot of room for improvement, pointing out that they will especially concentrate on economic ties next year.

Ahead of his trip to Serbia, Verhagen told B92 that he would tell Serbia's president and government that the Netherlands was convinced Serbia had a European future and that his country was ready to support Belgrade on that road, "even financially".

"I will reiterate that it is of exceptional importance for Serbia to cooperate with the Hague Tribunal and the best example of that cooperation remains the arrest of the last Hague fugitives, including [Ratko] Mladić," said he.

Speaking about Serbia's EU candidate status application, Verhagen said that while this decision lies with the authorities in Belgrade, it should be taken "step by step", and mentioned the ratification of the SAA – which his country is blocking – as one of those steps.

The Dutch minister was due to arrive here in July, but that visit was postponed after Serbian official said it would focus on the unblocking of the EU integration processes and Hague cooperation.

The Netherlands interpreted this as "pressure exerted by Serbia".

Tadić, Verhagen meet

President Boris Tadić met with Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen on Wednesday to discuss the two countries' bilateral relations, Serbia's European integration and its cooperation with the Hague Tribunal.

Tadić said that the bilateral relations between the two countries had improved, but that there was still a lot of room for their further strengthening, especially in the economic sphere.

Referring to the cooperation with the Hague, Tadić stressed that Serbia would continue doing everything in its power to find, arrest and transport to The Hague the remaining two indictees, the president's press service announced.

Tadić and Verhagen discussed Serbia's European integration, stressing that all Western Balkan countries should become EU members.

The president said that Serbia would apply for EU membership at the most opportune moment.

Serbia's Deputy Prime Minister Božidar Đelić and Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić also attended the meeting.