Đelić: Serbia remains on EU path

Bozidar Djelic said today "Serbia will remain on its path toward EU membership". Djelic, from President Boris Tadic's Democrats (DS) is Vojislav Kostunica's deputy in the cabinet formed by a coalition. Djelic: Serbia remains on EU path Kostunica's Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), believes the EU's endorsement of Kosovo's unilateral recognition of independence now means that Serbia's association with the Union would in effect mean Belgrade's recognition of Kosovo as an independent state. But Djelic was confident as he spoke to journalists today, during the ceremony establishing the National Council for Competition: ""Serbia will not change its set goal to become an EU member." "Serbia will continue with speedy economic reforms that will enable it to become the economic center of southeastern Europe," he added. "Serbia is in a difficult time, but we will not self-isolate and we will send clear messages to investors that they are welcome to the Serbian market," Djelic stressed. “EU integration, or government falls” A former minister says that the government will fall if Serbia does not sign the political agreement offered by the EU. “Our position in the fight for Kosovo will be stronger if we have friends in the EU and if we are economically prosperous. If these politics of the government continue, I am afraid that we will be left without Kosovo and without the EU,” Ivana Dulic-Markovic, vice president of G17 plus, told Novi Sad daily Gradjanski list. She reminded that the politicy of the government is based on five principles and that only one principle is being worked on currently. “Our territorial integrity is being defended, but European integration, cooperation with the Hague Tribunal, the fight against crime and corruption and the improvement of the citizens’ living standard have all been forgotten about,” Dulic-Markovic, who was agriculture minister in the previous Kostunica cabinet, said. She accused the Democratic Party of Serbia, DSS, of "obstructing the process of European integration" and said that the Democratics, DS, need to "stop repeating the slogan 'Kosovo and Europe' and continue its work on European integration", because the party’s leader and President of Serbia Boris Tadic was chosen by the majority of Serbia’s citizens "to do so".

Đelić: Serbia remains on EU path

Koštunica's Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), believes the EU's endorsement of Kosovo's unilateral recognition of independence now means that Serbia's association with the Union would in effect mean Belgrade's recognition of Kosovo as an independent state.

But Đelić was confident as he spoke to journalists today, during the ceremony establishing the National Council for Competition: ""Serbia will not change its set goal to become an EU member."

"Serbia will continue with speedy economic reforms that will enable it to become the economic center of southeastern Europe," he added.

"Serbia is in a difficult time, but we will not self-isolate and we will send clear messages to investors that they are welcome to the Serbian market," Đelić stressed.

“EU integration, or government falls”

A former minister says that the government will fall if Serbia does not sign the political agreement offered by the EU.

“Our position in the fight for Kosovo will be stronger if we have friends in the EU and if we are economically prosperous. If these politics of the government continue, I am afraid that we will be left without Kosovo and without the EU,” Ivana Dulić-Marković, vice president of G17 plus, told Novi Sad daily Građanski list.

She reminded that the politicy of the government is based on five principles and that only one principle is being worked on currently.

“Our territorial integrity is being defended, but European integration, cooperation with the Hague Tribunal, the fight against crime and corruption and the improvement of the citizens’ living standard have all been forgotten about,” Dulić-Marković, who was agriculture minister in the previous Koštunica cabinet, said.

She accused the Democratic Party of Serbia, DSS, of "obstructing the process of European integration" and said that the Democratics, DS, need to "stop repeating the slogan 'Kosovo and Europe' and continue its work on European integration", because the party’s leader and President of Serbia Boris Tadić was chosen by the majority of Serbia’s citizens "to do so".