Serbia-EU Forum held in Belgrade

Serbian President Boris Tadic says that Serbia has done everything on its EU pathway to start the negotiations, adding that it does not expect any privileges. “But we cannot accept new conditions that could be set either,” he said while opening the first Serbia-EU Forum in Belgrade. Serbia-EU Forum held in Belgrade He stressed that the policy leading Serbia into the EU had no alternative. The Forum will bring together over 400 ministers, intellectuals, representatives of the non-government sectors and reporters from the EU and the region and it is organized by the Serbian government. Serbian government’s EU Integration Office Director Milica Delevic expressed belief that Council of Europe (CoE) President Herman Van Rompuy would support Serbia’s EU integration efforts. “The time when we could do something is slowly running out and we will now see what they are going to say. I believe Van Rompuy will support what we have done,” she stressed. Aside from Serbia’s top officials, Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic, parliament Speaker Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic and Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic, future European Parliament (EP) President Martin Schulz also addressed the participants. Djelic said that the forum was modeled after last year’s World Economic Forum in Davos and that the idea was to hold it every year. “Of course the most important thing this year is to make a good overture and warm-up for European Commission’s opinion that will be published on October 12, but something important will happen every year, so this is a good start of what is to come, I hope a tradition in relations with the EU,” he pointed out. A plenary session was also held including deputy prime ministers and foreign ministers of regional countries, Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro and Turkey, as a country on a EU pathway. In addition, five panels were planned focusing on economy, social inclusion, fight against organized crime, corruption and illegal migrations, as well as a panel dubbed "Geopolitics of the Western Balkans: is there more than the EU?" Ahead of the EU Council of Ministers' decision on Serbia's candidacy, Djelic said that Serbia would use this forum as an opportunity to show to all the participants how much progress it had made in the EU integration process. “It is good for Van Rompuy, Schulz and a number of regional ministers to see the progress that Serbia has made, to ask questions about the issues they are interested in and establish bilateral relations which will benefit them,” the deputy prime minister stressed. (Tanjug) EC president addresses gathering European Council President Herman van Rompuy said Friday in Belgrade that Serbia's future lies in the European Union and that the Union did not forget Serbia. The president of the European Council said that the relations between Belgrade and Pristina would represent one of the key factors in deciding on Serbia's candidacy for EU membership. Van Rompuy commended and qualified as excellent the progress Serbia has made on its European path over the past three years, and called on the Serbian authorities to remain committed to the European goals. Serbia is in Europe and Serbia's future is in the EU. I would like to encourage the Serbian authorities to persist in their European policy and European goals, Van Rompuy said. He said, however, there are a lot of things Serbia should do both before and after it joins the EU. We will be assisting you on that pathway and the Union will be ready whenever you are. With the West Balkans' admission into the EU, a stop will be put to the last civil war in Europe, Van Rompuy said. According to him, EU's enlargement will always depend on the success of its candidates. There will be no shortcuts as far as the Copenhagen criteria are in question, and the decision on candidacy status requires a consensus of 27 (EU) governments, parliaments and the public opinion of those countries, which is not something that can be easily achieved, the President of the European Council added. Speaking about the issue of Kosovo, Van Rompuy said he is closely following the relations between Belgrade and Pristina, which he said would represent one of the key factors in deciding on Serbia's candidacy for EU membership. He said joint grounds should be found for talks between those that used to be on two opposite sides. Only six years after World War Two we brought the Germans and French to sit together at the negotiating table and we resolved bilateral problems through a multilateral complex, Van Rompuy said. He commended Serbia and Croatia for the progress they had made in their relations, and pointed to Serbian parliament's Resolution on Srebrenica as an important document for the stability in the Balkans. We know how sensitive the issue of Kosovo is for Serbia, and the relations between Belgrade and Pristina is something that we follow closely and that worries us. This will be one of the key factors in deciding on Serbia and its candidacy (for EU membership), the president of the European Council underlined. He said he was glad the (Belgrade-Pristina) dialogue was already yielding results in terms of customs stamps, and added that it is possible to resolve problems if there is a good will. Unilateral moves are dangerous, and they can be prevented by means of dialogue and negotiations, as well as creative diplomacy, Van Rompuy assessed. Such a process requires a compromise of both sides, he added. The President of the European Council commended Serbia for judiciary reforms, and added that all potential EU candidates should now focus on the fight against organized crime and corruption. There are a lot more things that need to be done, but the most important thing is that democratic institutions in the country and the rule of law are fully functioning, Van Rompuy said. He thanked Serbian President Boris Tadic for the initiative that, as he put it, this decisive historical gathering, the Serbia-EU Forum, be staged in Belgrade.

Serbia-EU Forum held in Belgrade

He stressed that the policy leading Serbia into the EU had no alternative.

The Forum will bring together over 400 ministers, intellectuals, representatives of the non-government sectors and reporters from the EU and the region and it is organized by the Serbian government.

Serbian government’s EU Integration Office Director Milica Delević expressed belief that Council of Europe (CoE) President Herman Van Rompuy would support Serbia’s EU integration efforts.

“The time when we could do something is slowly running out and we will now see what they are going to say. I believe Van Rompuy will support what we have done,” she stressed.

Aside from Serbia’s top officials, Prime Minister Mirko Cvetković, parliament Speaker Slavica Đukić-Dejanović and Deputy Prime Minister Božidar Đelić, future European Parliament (EP) President Martin Schulz also addressed the participants.

Đelić said that the forum was modeled after last year’s World Economic Forum in Davos and that the idea was to hold it every year.

“Of course the most important thing this year is to make a good overture and warm-up for European Commission’s opinion that will be published on October 12, but something important will happen every year, so this is a good start of what is to come, I hope a tradition in relations with the EU,” he pointed out.

A plenary session was also held including deputy prime ministers and foreign ministers of regional countries, Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro and Turkey, as a country on a EU pathway. In addition, five panels were planned focusing on economy, social inclusion, fight against organized crime, corruption and illegal migrations, as well as a panel dubbed "Geopolitics of the Western Balkans: is there more than the EU?"

Ahead of the EU Council of Ministers' decision on Serbia's candidacy, Đelić said that Serbia would use this forum as an opportunity to show to all the participants how much progress it had made in the EU integration process.

“It is good for Van Rompuy, Schulz and a number of regional ministers to see the progress that Serbia has made, to ask questions about the issues they are interested in and establish bilateral relations which will benefit them,” the deputy prime minister stressed.

EC president addresses gathering

European Council President Herman van Rompuy said Friday in Belgrade that Serbia's future lies in the European Union and that the Union did not forget Serbia.

The president of the European Council said that the relations between Belgrade and Priština would represent one of the key factors in deciding on Serbia's candidacy for EU membership.

Van Rompuy commended and qualified as excellent the progress Serbia has made on its European path over the past three years, and called on the Serbian authorities to remain committed to the European goals.

Serbia is in Europe and Serbia's future is in the EU. I would like to encourage the Serbian authorities to persist in their European policy and European goals, Van Rompuy said.

He said, however, there are a lot of things Serbia should do both before and after it joins the EU.

We will be assisting you on that pathway and the Union will be ready whenever you are. With the West Balkans' admission into the EU, a stop will be put to the last civil war in Europe, Van Rompuy said.

According to him, EU's enlargement will always depend on the success of its candidates.

There will be no shortcuts as far as the Copenhagen criteria are in question, and the decision on candidacy status requires a consensus of 27 (EU) governments, parliaments and the public opinion of those countries, which is not something that can be easily achieved, the President of the European Council added.

Speaking about the issue of Kosovo, Van Rompuy said he is closely following the relations between Belgrade and Priština, which he said would represent one of the key factors in deciding on Serbia's candidacy for EU membership.

He said joint grounds should be found for talks between those that used to be on two opposite sides.

Only six years after World War Two we brought the Germans and French to sit together at the negotiating table and we resolved bilateral problems through a multilateral complex, Van Rompuy said.

He commended Serbia and Croatia for the progress they had made in their relations, and pointed to Serbian parliament's Resolution on Srebrenica as an important document for the stability in the Balkans.

We know how sensitive the issue of Kosovo is for Serbia, and the relations between Belgrade and Priština is something that we follow closely and that worries us. This will be one of the key factors in deciding on Serbia and its candidacy (for EU membership), the president of the European Council underlined.

He said he was glad the (Belgrade-Priština) dialogue was already yielding results in terms of customs stamps, and added that it is possible to resolve problems if there is a good will.

Unilateral moves are dangerous, and they can be prevented by means of dialogue and negotiations, as well as creative diplomacy, Van Rompuy assessed.

Such a process requires a compromise of both sides, he added.

The President of the European Council commended Serbia for judiciary reforms, and added that all potential EU candidates should now focus on the fight against organized crime and corruption.

There are a lot more things that need to be done, but the most important thing is that democratic institutions in the country and the rule of law are fully functioning, Van Rompuy said.

He thanked Serbian President Boris Tadić for the initiative that, as he put it, this decisive historical gathering, the Serbia-EU Forum, be staged in Belgrade.