Đelić: Government goals remain as before

“Our aim for 2008 is to receive candidate status, scrap visas and apply for EU structural funds,” says Bozidar Djelic. The deputy prime minister told daily Blic that “political self-isolation would be the road to hopelessness,” and that “those who think that the best way to fight for Kosovo is by breaking off talks and relations with the EU offer no alternative.” Djelic: Government goals remain as before He said that the Democratic Party would remain within the government only if it continued to work on all five priorities, including EU integration. “The EU has neither the capacity to recognize, nor has recognized Kosovo’s unilaterally declared independence. Member-states did that individually. Serbia will never trade Kosovo, but nor will it give up on stability or its future,” the deputy prime minister said. “Serbia’s policies are Kosovo and Europe. We have to think about the future of our citizens. In Strpce, Subotica and Toronto,” he stressed. “That is a responsible policy. Europe is divided over Kosovo. Those who want Kosovo to remain part of Serbia, like Romania, have made it clear to us that the best way to defend it is via European integration,” Djelic explained. According to the deputy prime minister, work on European integration has not stopped for one moment. “Obviously, when Solana appears in Pristina two days after the independence declaration, that doesn’t help bolster relations between the EU and Serbia. There is unity within the government to synchronize our economic system with the EU in the interests of our state and a better life for our citizens,” he added. “Contact with the EU certainly exists – two meetings were held on February 26 as part of permanent progressive dialogue; next week we will discuss visa abolition; on March 10 and 14, European Commission (EC) rapporteurs are coming to assess reform progress in the domains of the justice system, security and human rights… It should also be pointed out that the EC has sent us a financial agreement that will allow us access to funds of over EUR 180mn this year alone,” Djelic stated. The deputy prime minister said that Serbia would sign a Cooperation Agreement on EU integration “as soon as the EC recommends it.” He stressed that it was vital to retain stability throughout Serbia, including Kosovo. “Also, it will be of tremendous importance how the international community—UNMIK, who we recognize, and EULEX, who we don’t—handles Serbs and all non-Serbs who consider Serbia as their homeland. Every violent attempt to encourage loyalty towards Pristina where it doesn’t exist could lead to new tension and clashes. That’s why a great deal of responsibility lies with the international community,” said Djelic. “And it’s in Russia’s interests for Serbia to join the EU,” said the deputy prime minister. He said that he would have “preferred to sell the Serbian Oil Industry at an international tender,” but according to him, Russia has made it known that “the South Stream pipeline project is a way of averting the uncertainty of the pipeline passing through non-EU countries, like Ukraine.” Djelic said that the Russians had offered a strategic proposal and that it had been a choice between South Stream passing through Serbia or Romania. “The decision for it to pass through Serbia in return for the sale of the Serbian Oil Industry is of economic and geo-political importance to us. That’s why I think the arrangement with Russia is in our interests,” concluded the deputy prime minister. Bozidar Djelic (FoNet, archive)

Đelić: Government goals remain as before

He said that the Democratic Party would remain within the government only if it continued to work on all five priorities, including EU integration.

“The EU has neither the capacity to recognize, nor has recognized Kosovo’s unilaterally declared independence. Member-states did that individually. Serbia will never trade Kosovo, but nor will it give up on stability or its future,” the deputy prime minister said.

“Serbia’s policies are Kosovo and Europe. We have to think about the future of our citizens. In Štrpce, Subotica and Toronto,” he stressed.

“That is a responsible policy. Europe is divided over Kosovo. Those who want Kosovo to remain part of Serbia, like Romania, have made it clear to us that the best way to defend it is via European integration,” Đelić explained.

According to the deputy prime minister, work on European integration has not stopped for one moment.

“Obviously, when Solana appears in Priština two days after the independence declaration, that doesn’t help bolster relations between the EU and Serbia. There is unity within the government to synchronize our economic system with the EU in the interests of our state and a better life for our citizens,” he added.

“Contact with the EU certainly exists – two meetings were held on February 26 as part of permanent progressive dialogue; next week we will discuss visa abolition; on March 10 and 14, European Commission (EC) rapporteurs are coming to assess reform progress in the domains of the justice system, security and human rights… It should also be pointed out that the EC has sent us a financial agreement that will allow us access to funds of over EUR 180mn this year alone,” Đelić stated.

The deputy prime minister said that Serbia would sign a Cooperation Agreement on EU integration “as soon as the EC recommends it.”

He stressed that it was vital to retain stability throughout Serbia, including Kosovo.

“Also, it will be of tremendous importance how the international community—UNMIK, who we recognize, and EULEX, who we don’t—handles Serbs and all non-Serbs who consider Serbia as their homeland. Every violent attempt to encourage loyalty towards Priština where it doesn’t exist could lead to new tension and clashes. That’s why a great deal of responsibility lies with the international community,” said Đelić.

“And it’s in Russia’s interests for Serbia to join the EU,” said the deputy prime minister.

He said that he would have “preferred to sell the Serbian Oil Industry at an international tender,” but according to him, Russia has made it known that “the South Stream pipeline project is a way of averting the uncertainty of the pipeline passing through non-EU countries, like Ukraine.”

Đelić said that the Russians had offered a strategic proposal and that it had been a choice between South Stream passing through Serbia or Romania.

“The decision for it to pass through Serbia in return for the sale of the Serbian Oil Industry is of economic and geo-political importance to us. That’s why I think the arrangement with Russia is in our interests,” concluded the deputy prime minister.