Tadić: Candidate status main goal

President Boris Tadic said that Serbia’s goal is to receive candidate status for EU membership either by the end of the year or in early 2011. After meeting with EU Security and Foreign Policies Chief Catherine Ashton in Brussels, Tadic said that cooperation with the Hague Tribunal must be completed in order for this to happen, which means that fugitives Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic must be arrested. Tadic: Candidate status main goal Tadic said that Serbia is doing everything it can to arrest the two fugitive war crimes suspects. “That is one thing that Serbia will not give up on,” Tadic said. He said that Ashton showed support of Serbia’s expectations for receiving candidate status. “We must continue the reform process in the country in order to become official candidates for membership, because the faster we achieve that status, the faster we open negotiations,” Tadic said. He added that a fight against time is being led, adding that this is a problem that the entire region is facing. “Serbia is solving this problem fairly successfully, with a perspective of fast EU membership, that is why it is very important for us to become official candidates as soon as possible,” Tadic said. Tadic and Ashton also talked about regional cooperation and Kosovo. “I said once again that Serbia will not recognize Kosovo’s independence,” Tadic said. He added that Serbia’s interest is to open questions of regional cooperation, transport, and communications “which would not lead in any way to the implicit or explicit recognition of Kosovo by Serbia.” He said that by opening these questions, the functionality of the entire region would be secured. “We agreed that everything we do in the region must contribute to stability and peace, because only in that way will the region and Serbia be able to join the European Union,” Tadic said. Speaking on Kosovo, Tadic said that Serbia is constantly talking with UNMIK and EULEX about Kosovo, stressing that progress has been made for implementing the six-point plan. “I honestly hope that we will find an all-encompassing solution and an agreement with which we will successfully solve the questions of transport, communication, courts, police, and customs in a way in which we do not implicitly or explicitly recognize Kosovo’s independence,” Tadic said. He said that Serbia is encouraging solutions and wants Albanian Kosovo officials to participate in regional forums. “But we have red lines and we want the United Nations formula,” he said. Tadic stressed that it would not be good for the Albanian institutions in Kosovo to try to use the question of regional cooperation to impose an implicit recognition of Kosovo. “Serbia will not accept such a solution. There is no chance that something like that will happen,” Tadic said, repeating that Serbia wants Kosovo officials to participate in regional forums as defined by the UN. He said that he was involved in the planning of the recent regional meeting in Slovenia because he wanted to find a solution that would ensure everyone’s attendance. “Unfortunately, we were not able to reach a solution. Next time I believe that we will,” Tadic said. Tadic said that Serbia is against any kind of partition of Bosnia-Herzegovina and disintegration of the country, because that would go against the Dayton Agreement. He said that all three constitutive peoples and both entities must support all solutions for Bosnia. “If that mean that changes must be made to the constitution, and everyone agrees, Serbia supports that,” the Serbian president concluded. Archive photos of Catherine Ashton and Boris Tadic

Tadić: Candidate status main goal

Tadić said that Serbia is doing everything it can to arrest the two fugitive war crimes suspects.

“That is one thing that Serbia will not give up on,” Tadić said.

He said that Ashton showed support of Serbia’s expectations for receiving candidate status.

“We must continue the reform process in the country in order to become official candidates for membership, because the faster we achieve that status, the faster we open negotiations,” Tadić said.

He added that a fight against time is being led, adding that this is a problem that the entire region is facing.

“Serbia is solving this problem fairly successfully, with a perspective of fast EU membership, that is why it is very important for us to become official candidates as soon as possible,” Tadić said.

Tadić and Ashton also talked about regional cooperation and Kosovo.

“I said once again that Serbia will not recognize Kosovo’s independence,” Tadić said.

He added that Serbia’s interest is to open questions of regional cooperation, transport, and communications “which would not lead in any way to the implicit or explicit recognition of Kosovo by Serbia.”

He said that by opening these questions, the functionality of the entire region would be secured.

“We agreed that everything we do in the region must contribute to stability and peace, because only in that way will the region and Serbia be able to join the European Union,” Tadić said.

Speaking on Kosovo, Tadić said that Serbia is constantly talking with UNMIK and EULEX about Kosovo, stressing that progress has been made for implementing the six-point plan.

“I honestly hope that we will find an all-encompassing solution and an agreement with which we will successfully solve the questions of transport, communication, courts, police, and customs in a way in which we do not implicitly or explicitly recognize Kosovo’s independence,” Tadić said.

He said that Serbia is encouraging solutions and wants Albanian Kosovo officials to participate in regional forums.

“But we have red lines and we want the United Nations formula,” he said.

Tadić stressed that it would not be good for the Albanian institutions in Kosovo to try to use the question of regional cooperation to impose an implicit recognition of Kosovo.

“Serbia will not accept such a solution. There is no chance that something like that will happen,” Tadić said, repeating that Serbia wants Kosovo officials to participate in regional forums as defined by the UN.

He said that he was involved in the planning of the recent regional meeting in Slovenia because he wanted to find a solution that would ensure everyone’s attendance.

“Unfortunately, we were not able to reach a solution. Next time I believe that we will,” Tadić said.

Tadić said that Serbia is against any kind of partition of Bosnia-Herzegovina and disintegration of the country, because that would go against the Dayton Agreement.

He said that all three constitutive peoples and both entities must support all solutions for Bosnia.

“If that mean that changes must be made to the constitution, and everyone agrees, Serbia supports that,” the Serbian president concluded.