"EU membership negotiations in one year"

EU delegation chief in Serbia Vincent Degert says it's realistic to expect Serbia to start membership negotiations with the EU in a year's time.

Izvor: B92

Tuesday, 26.10.2010.

09:19

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EU delegation chief in Serbia Vincent Degert says it's realistic to expect Serbia to start membership negotiations with the EU in a year's time. Serbia should successfully fulfill criteria to start talks in the meantime. "EU membership negotiations in one year" Degert told B92 TV late on Monday in Belgrade that this had already been done with Montenegro and Albania and that he saw no reason why Serbia could not do the same. The goal now, Degert said, is to "convince the 27 member-states that Serbia is ready for the next step", that is, the membership negotiations. Asked whether the European Commission will acknowledge the arrest of Ratko Mladic, or an appraisal that "everyone is doing all they can to arrest him", Degert recalled the case of Croatia and then fugitive war crimes suspect Ante Gotovina. In 2005, he said, Chief Hague Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte said that Croatia was fully cooperating with the tribunal, although Gotovina was arrested and turned over to the tribunal two months after that. Recognizing Kosovo will not be a condition for Serbia getting close to the EU, said this official, and added that the announced talks between Belgrade and Pristina should start as soon as possible. Degert stated that it is hard to say how long those talks will last, and that there will be appraisal of "how engaged the sides are once the talks start". According to him, "what's important is that the result is an increase in the quality of life". Yesterday, EU foreign ministers decided by consensus to forward Serbia's candidate status application to the EC which will give its opinion. Asked when the EC might return the application to the ministers, Degert said that the process is beginning now when quality is more important than speed. Vincent Degert (Tanjug, file)

"EU membership negotiations in one year"

Degert told B92 TV late on Monday in Belgrade that this had already been done with Montenegro and Albania and that he saw no reason why Serbia could not do the same.

The goal now, Degert said, is to "convince the 27 member-states that Serbia is ready for the next step", that is, the membership negotiations.

Asked whether the European Commission will acknowledge the arrest of Ratko Mladić, or an appraisal that "everyone is doing all they can to arrest him", Degert recalled the case of Croatia and then fugitive war crimes suspect Ante Gotovina.

In 2005, he said, Chief Hague Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte said that Croatia was fully cooperating with the tribunal, although Gotovina was arrested and turned over to the tribunal two months after that.

Recognizing Kosovo will not be a condition for Serbia getting close to the EU, said this official, and added that the announced talks between Belgrade and Priština should start as soon as possible.

Degert stated that it is hard to say how long those talks will last, and that there will be appraisal of "how engaged the sides are once the talks start".

According to him, "what's important is that the result is an increase in the quality of life".

Yesterday, EU foreign ministers decided by consensus to forward Serbia's candidate status application to the EC which will give its opinion.

Asked when the EC might return the application to the ministers, Degert said that the process is beginning now when quality is more important than speed.

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