Inter-party agreement on SAA reached

The political parties in Serbia's parliament have agreed over an annex to the SAA proposed by the SRS. B92 learned earlier that at a meeting with Speaker Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic, party whips agreed to accept an annex to the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) that is in the form of an amendment submitted by the Serb Radical Party (SRS). Inter-party agreement on SAA reached This evening, Deputy Premier Bozidar Djelic confirmed that the government in its session today decided to accept this amendment. The provision, stating that Kosovo is an integral part of Serbia, will accompany the law on the ratification of the SAA, as it is not possible to amend an already adopted document. The initiative for reaching an agreement with the opposition was launched yesterday by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). This agreement will guarantee that all parties will vote in favor of SAA ratification with the exception of the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) and New Serbia (NS). When the SRS submitted the proposed amendment yesterday, the government rejected it because, it was explained, Kosovo is not a basic subject of the SAA, and such an amendment would make it become so. Parliament (Beta, archive) SAA debate continues in parliament Parliament continues debating the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) in Belgrade today. The discussion began yesterday without obstruction from the opposition parties, unlike on Tuesday, when opposition MPs spent the entire day citing breaches of the Code of Procedure. The next item on the agenda will be a debate on the oil-gas agreement with Russia. Several international loan arrangements and the government’s draft resolution on Kosovo are also on the session’s agenda. In the resumption of the debate on the SAA, MPs from the governing coalition said that the agreement would improve the standard of living in Serbia, while the opposition said that ratification meant recognizing Kosovo’s independence. Democratic Party (DS) MP Dragoljub Micunovic said that the SAA had broad significance as “after Serbia’s seemingly protracted wavering as to whether to enter Europe, these last elections dispelled any such doubts, as at those elections, Serbia chose integration.” Micunovic said that all political factors realized that Serbia’s EU integration had no alternative, and that it was left to see how this would be approached. “We’ve lost quite a bit of time, but that part is finally over now, and now we’re at the first steps of acceding to the EU,” the DS MP stated. He stressed that in integrating into the EU, Serbia would have to apply not only that organization’s economic, but political, cultural and social standards as well. Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) MP Zarko Korac said that he would support the SAA as it represented a big step forward for Serbia. Korac said that the agreement contained beneficial and not so beneficial elements, but that he had not heard MPs say a single thing that would explain to citizens why it was in Serbia’s economic interests. G17 Plus MP Zeljko Ivanji said that the SAA would enable a better and normal life for citizens, who, he remarked, “won’t be threatened in Europe either by curses or witch doctors”. “What we need are European standards, not curses,” underlined Ivanji. New Serbia leader Velimir Ilic said that “it’s nice that we want to go to Europe,” but stated that it was nonetheless necessary to understand that “Europe is usurping a part of Serbia’s territory, and doing so without the blessing of the UN Security Council.” Ilic said that Europe was setting additional conditions—recognition of Kosovo independence and “the extradition to The Hague of anyone it wants.” “We want to join the EU, but with our heads held high, as EU partners on a level footing,” he said. Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) leader Slobodan Samardzic said that the SAA was a political agreement, not just commercial, and that Article 135 of the agreement had had one meaning until Kosovo’s unilateral independence declaration, but an entirely different one since then. Zoran Krasic from the Serb Radical Party said that the SAA lost all sense without an additional article stipulating that Kosovo was an integral part of Serbia.

Inter-party agreement on SAA reached

This evening, Deputy Premier Božidar Đelić confirmed that the government in its session today decided to accept this amendment.

The provision, stating that Kosovo is an integral part of Serbia, will accompany the law on the ratification of the SAA, as it is not possible to amend an already adopted document.

The initiative for reaching an agreement with the opposition was launched yesterday by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

This agreement will guarantee that all parties will vote in favor of SAA ratification with the exception of the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) and New Serbia (NS).

When the SRS submitted the proposed amendment yesterday, the government rejected it because, it was explained, Kosovo is not a basic subject of the SAA, and such an amendment would make it become so.

SAA debate continues in parliament

Parliament continues debating the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) in Belgrade today.

The discussion began yesterday without obstruction from the opposition parties, unlike on Tuesday, when opposition MPs spent the entire day citing breaches of the Code of Procedure.

The next item on the agenda will be a debate on the oil-gas agreement with Russia.

Several international loan arrangements and the government’s draft resolution on Kosovo are also on the session’s agenda.

In the resumption of the debate on the SAA, MPs from the governing coalition said that the agreement would improve the standard of living in Serbia, while the opposition said that ratification meant recognizing Kosovo’s independence.

Democratic Party (DS) MP Dragoljub Mićunović said that the SAA had broad significance as “after Serbia’s seemingly protracted wavering as to whether to enter Europe, these last elections dispelled any such doubts, as at those elections, Serbia chose integration.”

Mićunović said that all political factors realized that Serbia’s EU integration had no alternative, and that it was left to see how this would be approached.

“We’ve lost quite a bit of time, but that part is finally over now, and now we’re at the first steps of acceding to the EU,” the DS MP stated.

He stressed that in integrating into the EU, Serbia would have to apply not only that organization’s economic, but political, cultural and social standards as well.

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) MP Žarko Korać said that he would support the SAA as it represented a big step forward for Serbia.

Korać said that the agreement contained beneficial and not so beneficial elements, but that he had not heard MPs say a single thing that would explain to citizens why it was in Serbia’s economic interests.

G17 Plus MP Željko Ivanji said that the SAA would enable a better and normal life for citizens, who, he remarked, “won’t be threatened in Europe either by curses or witch doctors”.

“What we need are European standards, not curses,” underlined Ivanji.

New Serbia leader Velimir Ilić said that “it’s nice that we want to go to Europe,” but stated that it was nonetheless necessary to understand that “Europe is usurping a part of Serbia’s territory, and doing so without the blessing of the UN Security Council.”

Ilić said that Europe was setting additional conditions—recognition of Kosovo independence and “the extradition to The Hague of anyone it wants.”

“We want to join the EU, but with our heads held high, as EU partners on a level footing,” he said.

Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) leader Slobodan Samardžić said that the SAA was a political agreement, not just commercial, and that Article 135 of the agreement had had one meaning until Kosovo’s unilateral independence declaration, but an entirely different one since then.

Zoran Krasić from the Serb Radical Party said that the SAA lost all sense without an additional article stipulating that Kosovo was an integral part of Serbia.