French FM holds meetings in Belgrade

French FM Bernard Kouchner is in Belgrade, where he has met with President Boris Tadic, and also with Deputy PM Bozidar Djelic, and FM Vuk Jeremic. Ahead of the meetings today, he visited the grave of former Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic, assassinated in 2003. French FM holds meetings in Belgrade Tadic and Kouchner discussed the issue of bilateral relations, continuation of Serbia's European integration and Kosovo and Metohija, the president's cabinet released in a statement. "President Tadic underlined that France strongly supports Serbia's membership in the European Union,", the statement reads. The collocutors also agreed that no additional conditions will be imposed on Serbia regarding its EU membership. According to this, Tadic said that Serbia expects that the opinion of the International Court of Justice (on Kosovo independence) will pave the way for the reaching of a sustainable and compromise solution for Kosovo. The negotiations on the agreement on strategic partnership between France and Serbia have been successfully completed and the document will be signed during a future visit of French President Nicolas Sarkozy to Serbia. The meeting between Tadic and Kouchner was also attended by Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic, the statement said. Kouchner also met with Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic to discuss Serbia’s European integration process and plans for the next steps that need to be taken. They also talked about cooperation between the two countries, the Serbian government stated. Kouchner said that France fully supports Serbia’s European integration process, and that it will support all further initiatives and activities that Serbia will be going through in this process. “It was stated that France will support the initiative for the headquarters of the secretariat for the future transport community of Southeast Europe to be in Belgrade,” the statement adds. Koucher also commended Serbia on the process of defining an EU strategy for the Danube region and said that France, as a country of the Danube River basin, wants its own observers to be involved in the process. It was stated that bilateral cooperation has improved, but that there is room to make more progress in relations between Belgrade and Paris. Djelic said that it is key for French companies to invest in the Belgrade metro, the construction of Corridor 10, and investments in the sectors of energy and local infrastructure. Ahead of the meetings today, the French foreign ministry stated that "despite the differences between Serbia and Kosovo, there are fields in which the two countries can and must reach agreements, especially in relation to question regarding police, legislature and customs, with the support of the EULEX mission". On Sunday, AFP reported that Kouchner intends to call for reconciliation "of Serbia with Kosovo". In a statement to reporters who were with him on the plane from Paris, he said that his country "supports Serbia's EU membership and a positive development of relations between Serbia and Kosovo". "Serbs should not complicate the already sufficiently complicated situation," Kouchner said, in reference to the ethnic Albanians' unilaterally declared independence, which Belgrade rejects. He also stated that "the EU will have to make its stance on Serbia's membership unanimously". 22 out of 27 EU member-states have recognized the proclamation. Kouchner, meanwhile, says he considers himself "a friend" of both Serbs and Albanians in Kosovo. After Belgrade, he will travel to the province, to meet with Kosovo officials in Pristina, and he will also tour the Serbian monastery of Gracanica, it was reported on Sunday. Tadic and Kouchner are seen in Belgrade today (Beta) Kouchner for "dialogue with Kosovo" French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told B92 in an exclusive interview that "relations with Kosovo must be simpler and based on friendship". These relations must be less tense, because that will make easier Serbia’s future in the EU, he said. “President Sarkozy and I are not asking Serbia to recognize Kosovo, but to begin the process of dialogue, work, relaxation, and the normalization of relations,” Kouchner said. “There are many people among the 27 (EU) member-states that do not agree with new Union enlargement. We have already gained experience with one divided country, Cyprus, and we are not ready to repeat that." "I am not saying that there are conditions or prerequisites to solve the Kosovo problem, and in Kosovo, to solve the problem with Serbia, no, but there must be an atmosphere that will enable everything to be regulated once Serbia becomes an EU member-state,” Kouchner told B92. "Kouchner to encourage cooperation" Political analyst Predrag Simic that Kouchner is expected to encourage cooperation between Serbia and EULEX during his Belgrade visit. “Because of the fact that this is the first visit of a French foreign minister since July 2007 –the first since Kosovo’s proclamation – it can be said that the goal of the visit is to normalize and further develop relations between Belgrade and Paris,” Simic said. He believes that the key topic will be Kosovo and the role of EULEX. “There has been a lot of speculation that France is unsatisfied with Belgrade’s stance towards EULEX and the announcements that Belgrade could be initiating a new action before the UN Security Council after the International Court of Justice gives its opinion on (the legality of) Kosovo’s (unilateral) independence proclamation,” he said. “I think that the message is clear, that Kosovo is a done deal for France and that Belgrade is expected, not to recognize Kosovo, but to cooperate with EULEX and help normalize the situation in Kosovo. This will probably also include the controversial plan of Pieter Feith, which received negative reactions from Serbs in Kosovo and the government in Belgrade,” Simic said. France’s support for European integration is not being questioned, Simic said, but there is a possibility that France will ask Serbia to reformulate its stances regarding Kosovo on the road to EU integration. Simic said that be believes that Kouchner’s visit represents an announcement of the visit of President Nikola Sarkozy, which France has been announcing over the last two years. Simic said that besides Kosovo and EU integration, there are other open questions between Paris and Belgrade. One such question is the French investments which have stagnated, and trade cooperation between the two countries, which was successfully developing until 2007, especially when it comes to Serbia’s exports to France.

French FM holds meetings in Belgrade

Tadić and Kouchner discussed the issue of bilateral relations, continuation of Serbia's European integration and Kosovo and Metohija, the president's cabinet released in a statement.

"President Tadić underlined that France strongly supports Serbia's membership in the European Union,", the statement reads.

The collocutors also agreed that no additional conditions will be imposed on Serbia regarding its EU membership.

According to this, Tadić said that Serbia expects that the opinion of the International Court of Justice (on Kosovo independence) will pave the way for the reaching of a sustainable and compromise solution for Kosovo.

The negotiations on the agreement on strategic partnership between France and Serbia have been successfully completed and the document will be signed during a future visit of French President Nicolas Sarkozy to Serbia.

The meeting between Tadić and Kouchner was also attended by Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić, the statement said.

Kouchner also met with Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Božidar Đelić to discuss Serbia’s European integration process and plans for the next steps that need to be taken.

They also talked about cooperation between the two countries, the Serbian government stated.

Kouchner said that France fully supports Serbia’s European integration process, and that it will support all further initiatives and activities that Serbia will be going through in this process.

“It was stated that France will support the initiative for the headquarters of the secretariat for the future transport community of Southeast Europe to be in Belgrade,” the statement adds.

Koucher also commended Serbia on the process of defining an EU strategy for the Danube region and said that France, as a country of the Danube River basin, wants its own observers to be involved in the process.

It was stated that bilateral cooperation has improved, but that there is room to make more progress in relations between Belgrade and Paris.

Đelić said that it is key for French companies to invest in the Belgrade metro, the construction of Corridor 10, and investments in the sectors of energy and local infrastructure.

Ahead of the meetings today, the French foreign ministry stated that "despite the differences between Serbia and Kosovo, there are fields in which the two countries can and must reach agreements, especially in relation to question regarding police, legislature and customs, with the support of the EULEX mission".

On Sunday, AFP reported that Kouchner intends to call for reconciliation "of Serbia with Kosovo".

In a statement to reporters who were with him on the plane from Paris, he said that his country "supports Serbia's EU membership and a positive development of relations between Serbia and Kosovo".

"Serbs should not complicate the already sufficiently complicated situation," Kouchner said, in reference to the ethnic Albanians' unilaterally declared independence, which Belgrade rejects.

He also stated that "the EU will have to make its stance on Serbia's membership unanimously".

22 out of 27 EU member-states have recognized the proclamation. Kouchner, meanwhile, says he considers himself "a friend" of both Serbs and Albanians in Kosovo.

After Belgrade, he will travel to the province, to meet with Kosovo officials in Priština, and he will also tour the Serbian monastery of Gračanica, it was reported on Sunday.

Kouchner for "dialogue with Kosovo"

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told B92 in an exclusive interview that "relations with Kosovo must be simpler and based on friendship".

These relations must be less tense, because that will make easier Serbia’s future in the EU, he said.

“President Sarkozy and I are not asking Serbia to recognize Kosovo, but to begin the process of dialogue, work, relaxation, and the normalization of relations,” Kouchner said.

“There are many people among the 27 (EU) member-states that do not agree with new Union enlargement. We have already gained experience with one divided country, Cyprus, and we are not ready to repeat that."

"I am not saying that there are conditions or prerequisites to solve the Kosovo problem, and in Kosovo, to solve the problem with Serbia, no, but there must be an atmosphere that will enable everything to be regulated once Serbia becomes an EU member-state,” Kouchner told B92.

"Kouchner to encourage cooperation"

Political analyst Predrag Simić that Kouchner is expected to encourage cooperation between Serbia and EULEX during his Belgrade visit.

“Because of the fact that this is the first visit of a French foreign minister since July 2007 –the first since Kosovo’s proclamation – it can be said that the goal of the visit is to normalize and further develop relations between Belgrade and Paris,” Simić said.

He believes that the key topic will be Kosovo and the role of EULEX.

“There has been a lot of speculation that France is unsatisfied with Belgrade’s stance towards EULEX and the announcements that Belgrade could be initiating a new action before the UN Security Council after the International Court of Justice gives its opinion on (the legality of) Kosovo’s (unilateral) independence proclamation,” he said.

“I think that the message is clear, that Kosovo is a done deal for France and that Belgrade is expected, not to recognize Kosovo, but to cooperate with EULEX and help normalize the situation in Kosovo. This will probably also include the controversial plan of Pieter Feith, which received negative reactions from Serbs in Kosovo and the government in Belgrade,” Simić said.

France’s support for European integration is not being questioned, Simić said, but there is a possibility that France will ask Serbia to reformulate its stances regarding Kosovo on the road to EU integration.

Simić said that be believes that Kouchner’s visit represents an announcement of the visit of President Nikola Sarkozy, which France has been announcing over the last two years.

Simić said that besides Kosovo and EU integration, there are other open questions between Paris and Belgrade.

One such question is the French investments which have stagnated, and trade cooperation between the two countries, which was successfully developing until 2007, especially when it comes to Serbia’s exports to France.