Speaker "moderately optimistic" about June date

BELGRADE Parliament Speaker Nebojsa Stefanovic said on Tuesday he was "moderately optimistic about Serbia getting a starting date for EU accession talks in June". His optimism came "considering the fact some progress has been made in the dialogue with Pristina regarding an association of Serb municipalities in Kosovo", Stefanovic told reporters in Belgrade. Speaker "moderately optimistic" about June date "Some progress was made yesterday, as Pristina made certain concessions and agreed to more competencies for the association of Serb municipalities," Stefanovic told a news conference he held together with President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Jean-Claude Mignon. Stefanovic said the Serbian parliament will be briefed on Monday's talks between the country's top officials and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton no later than Wednesday. He said he is certainly in favor of winning some authority for the Serbs in Kosovo and added he is moderately optimistic about Serbia's chances of getting a starting date for accession talks with the EU in June. "I am moderately optimistic, and I expect we will get a date for opening accession talks with the EU in June, because Serbia deserves this," said the speaker. We have proven this by achieving certain standards in the area of human rights, judiciary reform, and the fight against corruption, which were all among the conditions the Council of Europe gave Serbia, he noted. "I think we have managed to fulfill a large part of the criteria, and of course, we have been working on everything else, and the dialogue with Pristina shows that Serbia has been prepared to take a step forward even in situations which are not easy and when it comes to issues that are not the least bit pleasant for us," said Stefanovic. Mignon and Stefanovic address journliasts in Belgrade (Tanjug) "Serbia makes progress" President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Jean-Claude Mignon said on Tuesday that Serbia has made great progress in implementation of reforms, and voiced belief that a solution for the issue of Kosovo will be found through dialogue. Mignon said that the Serbian government will do its best and contribute to a solution for the Kosovo issue, adding that PACE is ready to help Serbia resolve this issue, but that it does not want to impose any solution. "We are confident that we will reach a solution through dialogue and talks," Mignon told a joint press conference held with Serbian Parliament Speaker Nebojsa Stefanovic. He also noted that, among other things, he and Stefanovic discussed the issue of Kosovo, and pointed out that the CoE views as a novelty the fact that Kosovo can be discussed. "We are aware that the situation is difficult, that the problem is complex and difficult to resolve, but we would not like Kosovo to become the kind of problem that we in the CoE call a frozen conflict," Mignon noted. As he put it, Serbia fulfills the obligations it assumed by becoming a CoE member and implements necessary reforms in order to harmonize its judicial system with European standards, but also reforms in the field of respect for human rights, the rule of law, the fight against corruption. "We know there is a lot more to be done, but we cannot expect any country to meet our numerous conditions overnight. I am convinced that Serbia will double its efforts to fulfill all the standards and requirements," the president of PACE stressed. Mignon also voiced hope that Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic will come to Strasbourg in October at his invitation to address PACE and that progress in resolving all Serbia's issue will be achieved by then. "PACE is a very good forum for talks on Serbia, including the ones with Brussels, and it can help Serbia on its EU path by presenting everything Serbia has achieved to the EU," he underlined. After addressing Serbian MPs at a special session and meeting with members of the parliament's committee on foreign affairs and of the Serbian delegation to PACE, Mignon conferred with Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic, while in the afternoon he should meet with State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Vera Mavric. Earlier in the day, reports said that Mignon had stated that Kosovo would be allowed to observe PACE sessions, but would not have the right to vote. The CoE official also said that a resolution on Kosovo had been finalized, and that it emphasized that all who live there "have a right to enjoy the rule of law". Mignon noted that the text of the resolution was finalized despite the fact that 34 out of CoE's 47 members recognized Kosovo as independent, and stressed that the organization itself was adhering to the policy of status neutrality. Mignon addresses the Serbian parliament (Tanjug) Tanjug

Speaker "moderately optimistic" about June date

"Some progress was made yesterday, as Priština made certain concessions and agreed to more competencies for the association of Serb municipalities," Stefanović told a news conference he held together with President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Jean-Claude Mignon.

Stefanović said the Serbian parliament will be briefed on Monday's talks between the country's top officials and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton no later than Wednesday.

He said he is certainly in favor of winning some authority for the Serbs in Kosovo and added he is moderately optimistic about Serbia's chances of getting a starting date for accession talks with the EU in June.

"I am moderately optimistic, and I expect we will get a date for opening accession talks with the EU in June, because Serbia deserves this," said the speaker.

We have proven this by achieving certain standards in the area of human rights, judiciary reform, and the fight against corruption, which were all among the conditions the Council of Europe gave Serbia, he noted.

"I think we have managed to fulfill a large part of the criteria, and of course, we have been working on everything else, and the dialogue with Priština shows that Serbia has been prepared to take a step forward even in situations which are not easy and when it comes to issues that are not the least bit pleasant for us," said Stefanović.

"Serbia makes progress"

President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Jean-Claude Mignon said on Tuesday that Serbia has made great progress in implementation of reforms, and voiced belief that a solution for the issue of Kosovo will be found through dialogue.

Mignon said that the Serbian government will do its best and contribute to a solution for the Kosovo issue, adding that PACE is ready to help Serbia resolve this issue, but that it does not want to impose any solution.

"We are confident that we will reach a solution through dialogue and talks," Mignon told a joint press conference held with Serbian Parliament Speaker Nebojša Stefanović.

He also noted that, among other things, he and Stefanović discussed the issue of Kosovo, and pointed out that the CoE views as a novelty the fact that Kosovo can be discussed.

"We are aware that the situation is difficult, that the problem is complex and difficult to resolve, but we would not like Kosovo to become the kind of problem that we in the CoE call a frozen conflict," Mignon noted.

As he put it, Serbia fulfills the obligations it assumed by becoming a CoE member and implements necessary reforms in order to harmonize its judicial system with European standards, but also reforms in the field of respect for human rights, the rule of law, the fight against corruption.

"We know there is a lot more to be done, but we cannot expect any country to meet our numerous conditions overnight. I am convinced that Serbia will double its efforts to fulfill all the standards and requirements," the president of PACE stressed.

Mignon also voiced hope that Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić will come to Strasbourg in October at his invitation to address PACE and that progress in resolving all Serbia's issue will be achieved by then.

"PACE is a very good forum for talks on Serbia, including the ones with Brussels, and it can help Serbia on its EU path by presenting everything Serbia has achieved to the EU," he underlined.

After addressing Serbian MPs at a special session and meeting with members of the parliament's committee on foreign affairs and of the Serbian delegation to PACE, Mignon conferred with Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dačić, while in the afternoon he should meet with State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Vera Mavrić.

Earlier in the day, reports said that Mignon had stated that Kosovo would be allowed to observe PACE sessions, but would not have the right to vote.

The CoE official also said that a resolution on Kosovo had been finalized, and that it emphasized that all who live there "have a right to enjoy the rule of law".

Mignon noted that the text of the resolution was finalized despite the fact that 34 out of CoE's 47 members recognized Kosovo as independent, and stressed that the organization itself was adhering to the policy of status neutrality.