Italian official: Serbia fulfilled all EU conditions

Italian Chamber of Deputies President Gianfranco Fini said on Wednesday Serbia had fulfilled all the conditions and should be granted the EU candidate status. Fini started his visit to Belgrade with a meeting with Serbian President Boris Tadic. Italian official: Serbia fulfilled all EU conditions The two officials discussed bilateral relations and strengthening of economic cooperation between the two countries. The Serbian president expressed gratitude to his guest for Italy's support for Serbia's EU integration, the president's press service released. Fini’s diplomatic adviser Alessandro Cortese said recently that “Italy wishes to send an encouraging message to Serbia in its EU integration process” ahead of a decision on Serbia’s EU candidate status in March. Gianfranco Fini and Boris Tadic (Beta) EU "issued no ultimatum to Serbia” The Italian official said that, as far as he knew, there was no ultimatum that a solution for Kosovo’s regional representation needed to be found by the end of the week in order for Serbia to get the EU candidate status. “Exams are over and they were successful,” Fini stated after meeting with Serbian Parliament Speaker Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic. The Italian official stated that granting Serbia candidate status would serve both the interests of the country itself and those of the EU. When asked whether reaching an agreement on Pristina's regional presentation constitutes a condition which Serbia needs to meet in order to obtain the EU candidate status, Fini stated that there were no such strictly set “deadlines and ultimatums”. “I have no such information,” Fini said and added that everyone knew that this issue was a condition but that he had no information that it was a condition which could obstruct further progress. The Serbian parliament speaker agreed with him and added that she had no such information either. Fini stressed that nobody in the EU should ignore the fact that 90 percent of the population in northern Kosovo “belongs to Serbian culture, language and people and the importance of cultural monuments and Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) monasteries in Kosovo and Metohija for Serbia’s cultural heritage”. “Everybody must admit it. Starting from those two facts everybody has an obligation to try and understand both sides and to look for a solution that will be satisfactory to all and be based on facts,” he explained. According to Djukic-Dejanovic, the meeting with Fini was a good indicator of intensive bilateral relations between the two countries. She also recalled that Serbia had Italy's full support in the process of European integration. During his one-day visit to Belgrade, Fini will also confer with Interior Minister Ivica Dacic. Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic and Gianfranco Fini (Beta) Beta Tanjug

Italian official: Serbia fulfilled all EU conditions

The two officials discussed bilateral relations and strengthening of economic cooperation between the two countries.

The Serbian president expressed gratitude to his guest for Italy's support for Serbia's EU integration, the president's press service released.

Fini’s diplomatic adviser Alessandro Cortese said recently that “Italy wishes to send an encouraging message to Serbia in its EU integration process” ahead of a decision on Serbia’s EU candidate status in March.

EU "issued no ultimatum to Serbia”

The Italian official said that, as far as he knew, there was no ultimatum that a solution for Kosovo’s regional representation needed to be found by the end of the week in order for Serbia to get the EU candidate status.

“Exams are over and they were successful,” Fini stated after meeting with Serbian Parliament Speaker Slavica Đukić-Dejanović.

The Italian official stated that granting Serbia candidate status would serve both the interests of the country itself and those of the EU.

When asked whether reaching an agreement on Priština's regional presentation constitutes a condition which Serbia needs to meet in order to obtain the EU candidate status, Fini stated that there were no such strictly set “deadlines and ultimatums”.

“I have no such information,” Fini said and added that everyone knew that this issue was a condition but that he had no information that it was a condition which could obstruct further progress.

The Serbian parliament speaker agreed with him and added that she had no such information either.

Fini stressed that nobody in the EU should ignore the fact that 90 percent of the population in northern Kosovo “belongs to Serbian culture, language and people and the importance of cultural monuments and Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) monasteries in Kosovo and Metohija for Serbia’s cultural heritage”.

“Everybody must admit it. Starting from those two facts everybody has an obligation to try and understand both sides and to look for a solution that will be satisfactory to all and be based on facts,” he explained.

According to Đukić-Dejanović, the meeting with Fini was a good indicator of intensive bilateral relations between the two countries.

She also recalled that Serbia had Italy's full support in the process of European integration.

During his one-day visit to Belgrade, Fini will also confer with Interior Minister Ivica Dačić.