Rehn: SAA initialing must wait

EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn says the decision to allow Serbia to initial the SAA will be taken at the end of October. Rehn made the statement following a meeting of EU foreign ministers with Hague Chief Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte, who has given her evaluation of Serbian cooperation with the Tribunal. Rehn: SAA initialing must wait ”I cannot give a positive evaluation on full cooperation until Ratko Mladic has been arrested and transferred to the Hague,” said Del Ponte. “The decision to initial the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) will be taken at the end of this month, after we receive additional evidence of Belgrade’s cooperation with the Hague, after Del Ponte’s visit to Serbia,” said Rehn in Luxembourg. The commissioner pointed out that the policy of setting conditions for cooperation worked, as instead of the recent 13 fugitives, there were now only four. Coordinators for Implementing the Action Plan for Completion of Hague Cooperation Rasim Ljajic and Vladimir Vukcevic will talk today in Brussels to European officials about cooperation with the Tribunal. Prior to departure, Ljajic said that the predominant opinion within the EU and the Hague was that Serbia would meet its obligations if put under constant pressure. Responding to Rehn's statement, he told Beta that this was an example of “pressure and a way of imposing conditions,” which were politically counter-productive. “This will practically strengthen the anti-European political structure. Moreover, it has a fairly discouraging effect on those involved in implementing the Action Plan, but I don’t think our reaction should be emotional, nor should we get embroiled in any sort of debate on the matter." "We have to face up to reality and with the difficult situation, and to increase our efforts and activities, and take advantage of the next stage to convince the Tribunal of our sincere intentions, and to meet our remaining commitments,” said Ljajic. He said that he and Vukcevic, during their meeting with EU officials, would show political readiness to extradite the Hague fugitives as soon as possible. The two coordinators travel to Brussels at the invitation of the European Parliament Rapporteur Jelko Kacin, and plan to have closed meetings with parliamentarians responsible for relations with Serbia. They are also expected to meet Rehn. The Serbian ambassador to the UN, Pavle Jevremovic, told the UN General Assembly that the international community should have not doubt as to Belgrade’s determination to speedily and effectively conclude cooperation with the Tribunal, including the arrest of Mladic. “It’s in Serbia’s interests to conclude cooperation quickly and effectively, and no-one need have any doubt in Serbia’s resolve to do this. Cooperation with the Hague is an inevitable part of European integration Olli Rehn (FoNet, archive)

Rehn: SAA initialing must wait

”I cannot give a positive evaluation on full cooperation until Ratko Mladić has been arrested and transferred to the Hague,” said Del Ponte.

“The decision to initial the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) will be taken at the end of this month, after we receive additional evidence of Belgrade’s cooperation with the Hague, after Del Ponte’s visit to Serbia,” said Rehn in Luxembourg.

The commissioner pointed out that the policy of setting conditions for cooperation worked, as instead of the recent 13 fugitives, there were now only four.

Coordinators for Implementing the Action Plan for Completion of Hague Cooperation Rasim Ljajić and Vladimir Vukčević will talk today in Brussels to European officials about cooperation with the Tribunal.

Prior to departure, Ljajić said that the predominant opinion within the EU and the Hague was that Serbia would meet its obligations if put under constant pressure. Responding to Rehn's statement, he told Beta that this was an example of “pressure and a way of imposing conditions,” which were politically counter-productive.

“This will practically strengthen the anti-European political structure. Moreover, it has a fairly discouraging effect on those involved in implementing the Action Plan, but I don’t think our reaction should be emotional, nor should we get embroiled in any sort of debate on the matter."

"We have to face up to reality and with the difficult situation, and to increase our efforts and activities, and take advantage of the next stage to convince the Tribunal of our sincere intentions, and to meet our remaining commitments,” said Ljajić.

He said that he and Vukčević, during their meeting with EU officials, would show political readiness to extradite the Hague fugitives as soon as possible.

The two coordinators travel to Brussels at the invitation of the European Parliament Rapporteur Jelko Kacin, and plan to have closed meetings with parliamentarians responsible for relations with Serbia. They are also expected to meet Rehn.

The Serbian ambassador to the UN, Pavle Jevremović, told the UN General Assembly that the international community should have not doubt as to Belgrade’s determination to speedily and effectively conclude cooperation with the Tribunal, including the arrest of Mladić.

“It’s in Serbia’s interests to conclude cooperation quickly and effectively, and no-one need have any doubt in Serbia’s resolve to do this. Cooperation with the Hague is an inevitable part of European integration