Rehn: Serbia at crossroads

Rehn: Serbia at crossroads

"In spite of the worrying sign coming from the Serbian parliament yesterday and this morning, in my view the reform-oriented parties should still give careful consideration to their voters' wishes for a European future and act accordingly," Rehn told reporters in Brussels.

He added that Serbia was standing at a crossroads where it should chose between “the return to a nationalist past or an approach toward a European future.”

"I have been surprised at the nature of the political debate in the Parliament. In some statements the EU has been perceived rather as an adversary than as a partner," Rehn remarked.

Despite the action in the Serbian parliament Rehn urged the leaders of the pro-European and reform-oriented political forces to "make one final effort in order to form a government and respect the will of the Serbian voters".

"The fragility of democratic development in Serbia is posing risks towards political integration of the Western Balkans towards the EU," he concluded.

Solana: Situation in Serbia not good

The situation in Serbia is not good and the issue of security structures remains open, Javier Solana said Monday.

EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana added that the EU believed President Boris Tadić had to be in control of the security and police as he pledged to co-operate with the Hague.

In his address to the European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee Solana commented on the current international situation, including the issue of Kosovo and latest political developments in Serbia.

Solana said on the occasion he had recently spoken to Serbian president Boris Tadić, stressing that in his opinion “the situation in Serbia was not good.”

“There is no progress in cabinet talks since Tadić and prime minister Koštunica canot reach out to each other and share the power due to their deteriorated personal relationship,” Solana said.

“The Serbian president is determined to co-operate with the Hague Tribunal which is why he should be in charge of the security sector, including the ministry of interior, and keep the promise he gave the EU and his voters,” Solana said.

Solana also mulled over the possibility that the Radicals’ representative might be elected Parliament Speaker.

Solana added he also planned to have a talk with Koštunica on the issue.

“We see it as a great problem, since we are looking forward to a positive and constructive government so that the EU can resume Stabilization and Association talks with Serbia,” he said.

Beta news agency had earlier quoted its EU diplomatic sources as saying that EU did not want to create an impression of any meddling into Serbia’s internal affairs, even though it could be deduced that “too much time and effort had been spent in finding a way out of the complex situation which was not beneficial to Serbia and its relations with the EU.”

Russian Ambassador meets Nikolić

On the occasion of Nikolić’s appointment to the Speaker post, Russian Ambassador to Serbia Aleksandar Alekseyev has said “it is a matter of Serbia’s internal affairs”.

Alekseyev is a first foreign diplomat who met wit the new Speaker. He afterwards told the press that Russia respected the democratic principles upon which the speaker had been elected.