Candidacy in jeopardy unless dialogue resumes

Serbia will not become a candidate for EU membership if Belgrade fails to, by the end of next week, reach an agreement with Pristina on Kosovo's representation. This is according to a Tanjug news agency report, citing diplomatic sources in Brussels. Candidacy in jeopardy unless dialogue resumes We expect to see a progress in the dialogue already by mid-February, a source close to the German mission to the EU told Tanjug. If the case be the opposite, we will not be able to support Serbia's candidacy at the end of the month, the source added. EU foreign ministers will meet on the last day of February to debate whether Serbia has met the conditions that were put before the country by the European Council late last year. The first of the conditions is the resumption of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina and reaching an agreement on regional representation of Kosovo. However, the dialogue has been suspended for more than two months now as the two sides have been unable to reach an agreement on having “UN Security Resolution 1244” written under the name of Kosovo. The source recalled a recent meeting between German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle and his Serbian counterpart Vuk Jeremic, when Westerwelle had cautioned the Serbian minister about the deadline that was close to expiry. The German minister said on the occasion that Europe would do everything to prevent a situation similar to the one in December from happening, when the dialogue had been taking place simultaneously with the Council meetings, with the agreement on integrated control of administrative crossings having been reached literally in the nick of time. Other diplomatic sources also say that Serbia is unlikely to get the status if an agreement on representation is not reached. Serbia is doing everything in the last moment, which is met with disapproval in Brussels, a senior official of the European Commission in charge of Balkans-related issues told Tanjug, adding that such practice undermined the mutual trust between the EU and Serbia. The conditions laid before Serbia by the Council are very clear and have been explicitly stated, the official said. If Serbia fails to meet the conditions, even the countries that do not share the same opinion with Germany will not be able to insist on granting Serbia the candidate status, the official cautioned. The sources hinted that if Serbia did not get the candidate status by the end of February or early in March, the question would probably not be debated prior to the EU Summit in December. Tanjug

Candidacy in jeopardy unless dialogue resumes

We expect to see a progress in the dialogue already by mid-February, a source close to the German mission to the EU told Tanjug.

If the case be the opposite, we will not be able to support Serbia's candidacy at the end of the month, the source added.

EU foreign ministers will meet on the last day of February to debate whether Serbia has met the conditions that were put before the country by the European Council late last year.

The first of the conditions is the resumption of the dialogue between Belgrade and Priština and reaching an agreement on regional representation of Kosovo.

However, the dialogue has been suspended for more than two months now as the two sides have been unable to reach an agreement on having “UN Security Resolution 1244” written under the name of Kosovo.

The source recalled a recent meeting between German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle and his Serbian counterpart Vuk Jeremić, when Westerwelle had cautioned the Serbian minister about the deadline that was close to expiry.

The German minister said on the occasion that Europe would do everything to prevent a situation similar to the one in December from happening, when the dialogue had been taking place simultaneously with the Council meetings, with the agreement on integrated control of administrative crossings having been reached literally in the nick of time.

Other diplomatic sources also say that Serbia is unlikely to get the status if an agreement on representation is not reached.

Serbia is doing everything in the last moment, which is met with disapproval in Brussels, a senior official of the European Commission in charge of Balkans-related issues told Tanjug, adding that such practice undermined the mutual trust between the EU and Serbia.

The conditions laid before Serbia by the Council are very clear and have been explicitly stated, the official said.

If Serbia fails to meet the conditions, even the countries that do not share the same opinion with Germany will not be able to insist on granting Serbia the candidate status, the official cautioned.

The sources hinted that if Serbia did not get the candidate status by the end of February or early in March, the question would probably not be debated prior to the EU Summit in December.