Solana: SAA of “neutral status”

Javier Solana says that the SAA has nothing to do with Kosovo, which is under the jurisdiction of the UN. The EU Foreign and Security Policies chief said that the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) signed between the EU and Serbia yesterday in Luxembourg was, as far as the European Union was concerned, of “neutral status.” Solana: SAA of “neutral status” Asked by the Tanjug news agency if the EU recognized Serbia with or without Kosovo, Solana said that the EU “does not recognize countries.” “The agreement does not concern Kosovo, which is under the administration of the UN. None of that has changed in the slightest, and that is why I am saying that the SAA is of neutral status,” he explained. Responding to the observation that since the initialing of the SAA in November 2007, Kosovo had declared unilateral independence from Serbia, Solana said that “all negotiations with Serbia have been led from the beginning with Kosovo under the temporary administration of the UN, according to Resolution 1244.” Yesterday, European Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said after the signing that the SAA had no status character and criticized Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica for manipulating untruths. Yesterday's signing (FoNet) “SAA has nothing to do with Kosovo” The President of the European Parliament’s Committee for Foreign Affairs Jacek Saryusz Wolski says that the SAA with Serbia has nothing to do with Kosovo’s status. “The signing of the SAA has no relation with Serbia’s territorial integrity or recognition of Kosovo’s status. It deals with Serbia’s economic and social development,” said Saryusz Wolski told the Polish news agency, PAP. Saryusz Wolski said that Serbia’s road to the EU was clearly marked and required reforms and reconciliation with the past. The SAA signing in Luxemburg yesterday was also welcomed by Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, who called it an important “investment by Europe in the Balkans’ future.” “The agreement is the expression of our solidarity with European efforts for Serbian society,” said Sikorski, stressing that he was very happy that the Polish government had reacted “like lightning” and given him the mandate to sign the SAA with Serbia. Meanwhile, Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen said in Luxembourg yesterday that Serbia had acknowledged that it was not fully cooperating with the Hague Tribunal, and that he had information that Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica was “blocking cooperation.” Verhagen told journalists that “the extradition of Ratko Mladic would be the best proof of full cooperation.” “However, I don’t need statements from [Hague Chief] Prosecutor Serge Brammertz to confirm that Serbia isn’t fully cooperating,” said the Dutch foreign minister. “Last week, a special representative of President Boris Tadic told me that Tadic wanted to cooperate with the Tribunal but that Prime Minister Kostunica was blocking that cooperation,” Verhagen stated. He added that he had received a letter from Tadic himself, in which the Serbian president stated that he understood that Serbia had not thus far achieved full cooperation.

Solana: SAA of “neutral status”

Asked by the Tanjug news agency if the EU recognized Serbia with or without Kosovo, Solana said that the EU “does not recognize countries.”

“The agreement does not concern Kosovo, which is under the administration of the UN. None of that has changed in the slightest, and that is why I am saying that the SAA is of neutral status,” he explained.

Responding to the observation that since the initialing of the SAA in November 2007, Kosovo had declared unilateral independence from Serbia, Solana said that “all negotiations with Serbia have been led from the beginning with Kosovo under the temporary administration of the UN, according to Resolution 1244.”

Yesterday, European Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said after the signing that the SAA had no status character and criticized Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica for manipulating untruths.

“SAA has nothing to do with Kosovo”

The President of the European Parliament’s Committee for Foreign Affairs Jacek Saryusz Wolski says that the SAA with Serbia has nothing to do with Kosovo’s status.

“The signing of the SAA has no relation with Serbia’s territorial integrity or recognition of Kosovo’s status. It deals with Serbia’s economic and social development,” said Saryusz Wolski told the Polish news agency, PAP.

Saryusz Wolski said that Serbia’s road to the EU was clearly marked and required reforms and reconciliation with the past.

The SAA signing in Luxemburg yesterday was also welcomed by Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, who called it an important “investment by Europe in the Balkans’ future.”

“The agreement is the expression of our solidarity with European efforts for Serbian society,” said Sikorski, stressing that he was very happy that the Polish government had reacted “like lightning” and given him the mandate to sign the SAA with Serbia.

Meanwhile, Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen said in Luxembourg yesterday that Serbia had acknowledged that it was not fully cooperating with the Hague Tribunal, and that he had information that Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica was “blocking cooperation.”

Verhagen told journalists that “the extradition of Ratko Mladić would be the best proof of full cooperation.”

“However, I don’t need statements from [Hague Chief] Prosecutor Serge Brammertz to confirm that Serbia isn’t fully cooperating,” said the Dutch foreign minister.

“Last week, a special representative of President Boris Tadić told me that Tadić wanted to cooperate with the Tribunal but that Prime Minister Koštunica was blocking that cooperation,” Verhagen stated.

He added that he had received a letter from Tadić himself, in which the Serbian president stated that he understood that Serbia had not thus far achieved full cooperation.