Merkel confirms Serbia’s EU prospects

Merkel confirms Serbia’s EU prospects

By noting that Europe needs Serbia as “an anchor of stability in the Balkans”, she hailed the arrest of Hague indictee Zdravko Tolimir as “a proof of Serbia’s co-operation with the ICTY”.

Merkel’s statements came after she met with Serbian President Boris Tadić and EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn in Berlin on Friday, when Rehn confirmed that the European Commission would soon resume the Stabilization and Association talks with Serbia “after careful and comprehensive deliberation on the situation in Serbia.”

Merkel then noted it was plausible for the Stabilization and Association talks between Serbia and the EU to resume in June.

Speaking of Kosovo, she said “it was not a light issue”, reiterating that the EU was still backing its position to adopt a resolution based on Martti Ahtisaari’s plan at the UN security Council.

Asked to comment on recurrent propositions coming from the U.S. according to which the EU should speed up Serbia’s EU entry in return for the shift in Belgrade’s opposition to Kosovo’s independence, Merkel deemed such suggestions as unacceptable.

“It would not add to the region’s stability if Serbia overtook Croatia on the way to the EU, nor it might bridge the gap over the Kosovo issue. Serbia certainly needs a European perspective, but I find this swap unacceptable,” Merkel concluded.

Tadić: EU membership Serbia's strategic goal

President Boris Tadić met his Finnish counterpart Tarja Halonen Saturday in Helsinki during a one-day working visit to the Scandinavian country. They addressed the issue of Serbia's European perspective, touching on the Kosovo status as well.

“Our strategic goal is to become an EU member, which is why we will carry out the biggest reforms our country has ever seen,” Tadić said, adding that he was “satisfied with the new government’s results regarding the cooperation with the Hague.”

Speaking of Kosovo, Tadić said that “Serbia’s ability to reach a genuine compromise over the future status of Kosovo should not be underestimated.”

“Serbia is a democratic European state, and is against Kosovo’s independence as such. We are trying to produce a compromise by respecting the international law and legitimate interests of Serbian citizens, all the while protecting rights of both Serbs and Albanians in Kosovo,” Tadić said.

He also stressed that Serbia “would not give up on its province and its European future.”

Halonen said that Finland, like other EU member states, supported UN special Kosovo envoy Martti Ahtisaari’s efforts, not because he was a citizen of Finland, but having in mind "how well he was doing his job.”

“I hope Ahtisaari’s plan will succeed,” she added.

Tadić is also expected to meet with Olli Rehn later today in Helsinki to further address the issue of Serbia’s EU integrations.