Serbian and Romanian presidents meet

Romanian President Traian Basescu said on Tuesday in Belgrade that Serbia had his country's unconditional support on the path to becoming an EU member. He also stressed that "at this point there is not a single condition under which Romania would recognize Kosovo". Serbian and Romanian presidents meet Romania supports reaching a solution through talks, which would stipulate that Serbs in Kosovo are protected and served by Serbian institutions, Basescu said. "Serbia is the key to peace in the Balkans. Ordinary Serbs as well as Serbian politicians need to know Serbia has Romania's unqualified support in its progress to the EU. We believe Serbia should become an EU member country and part of Euro-Atlantic integration as soon as possible," the Romanian president said after his meeting with President Boris Tadic. "Our plea to Romania was to continue supporting Serbia in the European integration process as it has been doing to date," Tadic said. This includes December 9 when a vote will be held in Brussels to decide whether Serbia gets EU candidate status and when the outlook for opening accession talks will be discussed, said Tadic. "We hope we will get candidate status," said the Serbian president, adding Serbia has fulfilled all the conditions, which is confirmed by the extremely positive report it got from the European Commission. "We will continue the deep and fast reform process. The best way to reform and modernize Serbia is to constantly keep bringing it closer to the EU," Tadic stressed. After a meeting at the Palace of Serbia, Tadic and Basescu told reporters their talk focused on economic cooperation and potential projects. The two presidents discussed Serbia's possible involvement in the Pan-European Oil Pipeline (PEOP) project and the AGRI project for gas transport from the Caspian region to the European market, which already involves Romania, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Hungary. They also talked about electric energy transport, the construction of pumped-storage plant Djerdap 3, cooperation of Pan-European Corridor 7 and the Danube Strategy. A significant part of the conversation was dedicated to national minority rights, including the Vlachs in eastern Serbia. "In our country there are people who identify as Vlach, there are citizens who identify as Romanian, and there are also those who say they are both Romanian and Vlach and believe the two are one and the same," Tadic said. He stressed Serbia respects the right of its citizens to declare their identity as they see it, in line with European standards and law. "We understand our Romanian friends when they open this issue. Basescu does it in an open and fair manner," Tadic added, stressing Serbia has the most flexible model of national minority rights protection in Europe and has gotten high marks from the European Commission in this area. "We have done a lot on the protection of national minorities, their identity, but we also did this for our citizens, because Serbs do not live only in Serbia, but in all countries in the region and we must protect their rights," Tadic added. Basescu noted that official Bucharest is well aware of the fact one part of the Vlachs identify as Romanians, while another part do not accept this. We are not imposing an identity on anyone. It is clear that those who are of Romanian descent have the right to preserve their culture and language and this right should be respected, he stressed. Traian Basescu and Boris Tadic in Belgrade on Tuesday (Tanjug) SAA "not linked to Vlachs" Romanian President Traian Basescu stated in Belgrade on Tuesday that there is no relation between the process of ratification of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) between the EU and Serbia in the Romanian parliament, and the so-called issue of Vlachs. Vlachs are an ethnic minority of Serbia culturally and linguistically related to Romanians. When asked if the issue of Vlachs is the reason why Romania has still not ratified the SAA with Serbia, and whether this will affect Romania's position on December 9 when the EU candidacy of Serbia is due to be voted on in Brussels, Basescu responded negatively. We will continue to raise the question of Vlachs, who still declare themselves as Romanians. However, you have to take into account that there is no relation whatsoever between the SAA ratification and this matter, Basescu stated after the meeting with Serbian President Boris Tadic. Basescu recalled that the SAA has already been ratified by the Romanian parliament's Chamber of Deputies, adding that he hopes the Senate will ratify it on time, before December 9.

Serbian and Romanian presidents meet

Romania supports reaching a solution through talks, which would stipulate that Serbs in Kosovo are protected and served by Serbian institutions, Basescu said.

"Serbia is the key to peace in the Balkans. Ordinary Serbs as well as Serbian politicians need to know Serbia has Romania's unqualified support in its progress to the EU. We believe Serbia should become an EU member country and part of Euro-Atlantic integration as soon as possible," the Romanian president said after his meeting with President Boris Tadić.

"Our plea to Romania was to continue supporting Serbia in the European integration process as it has been doing to date," Tadić said.

This includes December 9 when a vote will be held in Brussels to decide whether Serbia gets EU candidate status and when the outlook for opening accession talks will be discussed, said Tadić.

"We hope we will get candidate status," said the Serbian president, adding Serbia has fulfilled all the conditions, which is confirmed by the extremely positive report it got from the European Commission.

"We will continue the deep and fast reform process. The best way to reform and modernize Serbia is to constantly keep bringing it closer to the EU," Tadić stressed.

After a meeting at the Palace of Serbia, Tadić and Basescu told reporters their talk focused on economic cooperation and potential projects.

The two presidents discussed Serbia's possible involvement in the Pan-European Oil Pipeline (PEOP) project and the AGRI project for gas transport from the Caspian region to the European market, which already involves Romania, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Hungary.

They also talked about electric energy transport, the construction of pumped-storage plant Đerdap 3, cooperation of Pan-European Corridor 7 and the Danube Strategy.

A significant part of the conversation was dedicated to national minority rights, including the Vlachs in eastern Serbia.

"In our country there are people who identify as Vlach, there are citizens who identify as Romanian, and there are also those who say they are both Romanian and Vlach and believe the two are one and the same," Tadić said.

He stressed Serbia respects the right of its citizens to declare their identity as they see it, in line with European standards and law.

"We understand our Romanian friends when they open this issue. Basescu does it in an open and fair manner," Tadić added, stressing Serbia has the most flexible model of national minority rights protection in Europe and has gotten high marks from the European Commission in this area.

"We have done a lot on the protection of national minorities, their identity, but we also did this for our citizens, because Serbs do not live only in Serbia, but in all countries in the region and we must protect their rights," Tadić added.

Basescu noted that official Bucharest is well aware of the fact one part of the Vlachs identify as Romanians, while another part do not accept this.

We are not imposing an identity on anyone. It is clear that those who are of Romanian descent have the right to preserve their culture and language and this right should be respected, he stressed.

SAA "not linked to Vlachs"

Romanian President Traian Basescu stated in Belgrade on Tuesday that there is no relation between the process of ratification of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) between the EU and Serbia in the Romanian parliament, and the so-called issue of Vlachs.

Vlachs are an ethnic minority of Serbia culturally and linguistically related to Romanians.

When asked if the issue of Vlachs is the reason why Romania has still not ratified the SAA with Serbia, and whether this will affect Romania's position on December 9 when the EU candidacy of Serbia is due to be voted on in Brussels, Basescu responded negatively.

We will continue to raise the question of Vlachs, who still declare themselves as Romanians. However, you have to take into account that there is no relation whatsoever between the SAA ratification and this matter, Basescu stated after the meeting with Serbian President Boris Tadić.

Basescu recalled that the SAA has already been ratified by the Romanian parliament's Chamber of Deputies, adding that he hopes the Senate will ratify it on time, before December 9.