Rehn urges early signing of SAA

EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn and Chief Hague Prosecutor Serge Brammertz met in Brussels yesterday. Rehn told the new head of prosecution at the UN war crimes court that he supported the signing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) between the European Union and Serbia "as soon as possible." Rehn urges early signing of SAA The only remaining obstacle for the signing of the agreement, initialed last November, is Belgrade's full cooperation with the Hague Tribunal. But some announcements from officials indicated that the deal, meant to bring Serbia closer to eventual membership, could be signed at the end of January even if the four remaining war crimes fugitives were not arrested by that time. Now Rehn expressed his support for an idea from Slovenia's EU presidency to form a working group, aimed at enabling a quick progress for Serbia's road toward the EU, and help it reach the conditions necessary for reaching this goal, which include full Hague cooperation. Rehn's spokeswoman Krisztina Nagy told reporters in Brussels that the EU presidency, along with the European Commission, was at this point working to determine the group's mandate and composition. The debate on Serbia will, in her words, continue in the coming days, with Rehn taking part in a EU foreign ministers meeting today in Slovenia. The meeting will also be attended by the representatives from the European Contact Group states and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana. Slovenia's foreign minister Dimitrij Rupel, whose country holds the six-month rotating EU presidency, said yesterday in Nicosia, Cyprus, that he is in favor of sending an EU mission to the province "before Kosovo declares independence," according to the Ljubljana-based media reporting from an informal meeting of the Mediterranean EU countries. Rupel was also quoted as saying that the issues of Kosovo's possible declaration of unilateral independence and sending the mission there to replace UNMIK were "separate issues." Belgrade is strongly opposed to such a move from Brussels, questioning its legality. The reports from Nicosia yesterday also indicate that EU's Mediterranean states, "Greece and Cyprus first and foremost," are strongly opposed to granting Kosovo independence. Rupel commented this by saying that "there is still hope things can change," and added that a large majority of EU countries wished to see "Cyprus, Greece, and some other states," adopt a position on Kosovo "that would help things move forward." The Slovenian chief of diplomacy also said that the planned EU mission's technical details should be agreed on during February, while the mission itself "would not be deployed before May." The EU's Mediterranean members also backed early signing of the SAA with Serbia, something now opposed by Holland, Belgium and some Scandinavian countries. Olli Rehn (Beta, archive)

Rehn urges early signing of SAA

The only remaining obstacle for the signing of the agreement, initialed last November, is Belgrade's full cooperation with the Hague Tribunal.

But some announcements from officials indicated that the deal, meant to bring Serbia closer to eventual membership, could be signed at the end of January even if the four remaining war crimes fugitives were not arrested by that time.

Now Rehn expressed his support for an idea from Slovenia's EU presidency to form a working group, aimed at enabling a quick progress for Serbia's road toward the EU, and help it reach the conditions necessary for reaching this goal, which include full Hague cooperation.

Rehn's spokeswoman Krisztina Nagy told reporters in Brussels that the EU presidency, along with the European Commission, was at this point working to determine the group's mandate and composition.

The debate on Serbia will, in her words, continue in the coming days, with Rehn taking part in a EU foreign ministers meeting today in Slovenia. The meeting will also be attended by the representatives from the European Contact Group states and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana.

Slovenia's foreign minister Dimitrij Rupel, whose country holds the six-month rotating EU presidency, said yesterday in Nicosia, Cyprus, that he is in favor of sending an EU mission to the province "before Kosovo declares independence," according to the Ljubljana-based media reporting from an informal meeting of the Mediterranean EU countries.

Rupel was also quoted as saying that the issues of Kosovo's possible declaration of unilateral independence and sending the mission there to replace UNMIK were "separate issues."

Belgrade is strongly opposed to such a move from Brussels, questioning its legality.

The reports from Nicosia yesterday also indicate that EU's Mediterranean states, "Greece and Cyprus first and foremost," are strongly opposed to granting Kosovo independence.

Rupel commented this by saying that "there is still hope things can change," and added that a large majority of EU countries wished to see "Cyprus, Greece, and some other states," adopt a position on Kosovo "that would help things move forward."

The Slovenian chief of diplomacy also said that the planned EU mission's technical details should be agreed on during February, while the mission itself "would not be deployed before May."

The EU's Mediterranean members also backed early signing of the SAA with Serbia, something now opposed by Holland, Belgium and some Scandinavian countries.