President meets with EU's Rompuy in Belgrade

President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy was visiting Serbia and was expected to "confirm the Western Balkans’ European perspective", said reports. Van Rompuy is in Belgrade this Monday where he has met with Serbian President Boris Tadic. President meets with EU's Rompuy in Belgrade Tadic and Van Rompuy confirmed on Monday that Serbia has a clear European perspective, said a statement from the president's cabinet. In his talks with the Brussels official, Tadic at the same time expressed dissatisfaction over the slowing down of the European integration process, as he believes that it is of crucial importance for the West Balkans to be integrated into the European Union as soon as possible. According to the statement, any other solution would not be useful either for the West Balkans or the EU. Tadic and Van Rompuy also discussed the current situation in Kosovo and Metohija, the president's press service said. “I’m coming to the Western Balkans to confirm that stability and European integration remain of key importance for the EU. That will be my message to President Tadic,” the European official stated ahead of his visit. This is Van Rompuy’s first official trip to Belgrade since he took office in December 2009. He visited Slovenia before arriving here, and will travel to Croatia tomorrow. Beside Belgrade, the EU official will also visit Pristina. The EU official's first official visit comes as his country Belgium, took over the EU presidency from Spain. While presenting their six-month presidency program, Belgian officials confirmed that European integrations and the EU enlargement would remain one of the priorities of the European policy, and that their presidency "would be carried out in a shadow of Van Rompuy and EU Foreign and Security Policies Chief Catherine Ashton", said reports. Analysts consider that to be a sign that the president of the European Council will run the EU in the future period. The former Belgian PM advocates EU enlargement in the Western Balkans and he has so far several times stressed that the region’s integration into the EU was the only way to provide peace and stability. Van Rompuy pointed out that it was a position of all European countries that the Western Balkans needs to join the EU, "and not only for practical reasons". EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele recently reiterated this position and said that the EU would in the next six months remain dedicated to the support of the Western Balkans and Turkey’s European integrations despite the global economic crisis. The European Council president is visiting Belgrade and Pristina at a very delicate moment regarding the relations between the Serbian authorities and temporary Kosovo institutions following the bombing that killed one and injured 11 people last Friday. Van Rompuy and Ashton have condemned the incident and called for restoration of peace, responsibility and restraint of all parties. The EU official, whose country has recognized unilaterally declared independence of the southern Serbian province, said earlier that “pragmatic cooperation” of Belgrade and Pristina was necessary for continuation of Serbia’s European integrations. Van Rompuy, Tadic meet in Belgrade (Beta)

President meets with EU's Rompuy in Belgrade

Tadić and Van Rompuy confirmed on Monday that Serbia has a clear European perspective, said a statement from the president's cabinet.

In his talks with the Brussels official, Tadić at the same time expressed dissatisfaction over the slowing down of the European integration process, as he believes that it is of crucial importance for the West Balkans to be integrated into the European Union as soon as possible.

According to the statement, any other solution would not be useful either for the West Balkans or the EU.

Tadić and Van Rompuy also discussed the current situation in Kosovo and Metohija, the president's press service said.

“I’m coming to the Western Balkans to confirm that stability and European integration remain of key importance for the EU. That will be my message to President Tadić,” the European official stated ahead of his visit.

This is Van Rompuy’s first official trip to Belgrade since he took office in December 2009.

He visited Slovenia before arriving here, and will travel to Croatia tomorrow. Beside Belgrade, the EU official will also visit Priština.

The EU official's first official visit comes as his country Belgium, took over the EU presidency from Spain.

While presenting their six-month presidency program, Belgian officials confirmed that European integrations and the EU enlargement would remain one of the priorities of the European policy, and that their presidency "would be carried out in a shadow of Van Rompuy and EU Foreign and Security Policies Chief Catherine Ashton", said reports.

Analysts consider that to be a sign that the president of the European Council will run the EU in the future period.

The former Belgian PM advocates EU enlargement in the Western Balkans and he has so far several times stressed that the region’s integration into the EU was the only way to provide peace and stability.

Van Rompuy pointed out that it was a position of all European countries that the Western Balkans needs to join the EU, "and not only for practical reasons".

EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele recently reiterated this position and said that the EU would in the next six months remain dedicated to the support of the Western Balkans and Turkey’s European integrations despite the global economic crisis.

The European Council president is visiting Belgrade and Priština at a very delicate moment regarding the relations between the Serbian authorities and temporary Kosovo institutions following the bombing that killed one and injured 11 people last Friday.

Van Rompuy and Ashton have condemned the incident and called for restoration of peace, responsibility and restraint of all parties.

The EU official, whose country has recognized unilaterally declared independence of the southern Serbian province, said earlier that “pragmatic cooperation” of Belgrade and Priština was necessary for continuation of Serbia’s European integrations.