I'll continue with deadlines, says Đelić

Božidar Đelić says that his optimism over Serbia's chances of becoming an EU candidate in 2009, "with the Hague condition fulfilled", is not groundless.

Izvor: Politika

Sunday, 09.11.2008.

12:26

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Bozidar Djelic says that his optimism over Serbia's chances of becoming an EU candidate in 2009, "with the Hague condition fulfilled", is not groundless. "Serbia is the only non-candidate country that is mentioned in the [European Commission] report with a possibility of gaining a candidate status, along with a date. I am not an optimist without reason, I am a cold realist, I have great ambition for our country," the deputy PM told Politika, adding, "and I'll continue to set deadlines." I'll continue with deadlines, says Djelic The deputy prime minister also said that "the EU always distances itself because it [deadlines] depends on our reforms just as our obtaining a candidate status depends on the cooperation with the Hague". He reminded that "for the first time in EU-Serbia relations, it was said that, if we meet the Hague condition, Serbia has an opportunity to become a candidate next year". "Should Holland increasingly define its position by putting an equation sign between the Hague cooperation and the arrest and extradition of Ratko Mladic, then that means that the candidate status depends on an event that is in its very nature unpredictable. That's the risk, that Holland will become stuck in that position…", the minister told the daily. Along with President Boris Tadic, Djelic was the official who in late April signed the SAA with the EU, but Brussels decided to immediately suspend this association deal. In the meantime, Belgrade decided to implement it unilaterally. Now, Djelic says that EC's Pierre Mirrel, who was recently in Belgrade, revealed that "they [EU] are technically ready to implement the customs part of the SAA, so that, as far as they're concerned, it will not be called 'agreement implementation', because they still have no mandate to do that". According to the deputy PM, the SAA will be "de facto implemented as of January 1, in its most important element, and that is foreign trade". Djelic also said that Serbia's position over conditions involving Kosovo for the sake of EU integrations is "clear and predictable". "It's always worth to warn that Serbia will not accept any blackmail over Kosovo. What is harder is the Hague condition. Instead of increased flexibility after months of activities that proved our commitment to cooperating with the Hague Tribunal, I can conclude that the opposite is happening." "More and more often, the Dutch side is saying that full cooperation means Mladic's extradition to the Hague," he concluded.

I'll continue with deadlines, says Đelić

The deputy prime minister also said that "the EU always distances itself because it [deadlines] depends on our reforms just as our obtaining a candidate status depends on the cooperation with the Hague".

He reminded that "for the first time in EU-Serbia relations, it was said that, if we meet the Hague condition, Serbia has an opportunity to become a candidate next year".

"Should Holland increasingly define its position by putting an equation sign between the Hague cooperation and the arrest and extradition of Ratko Mladić, then that means that the candidate status depends on an event that is in its very nature unpredictable. That's the risk, that Holland will become stuck in that position…", the minister told the daily.

Along with President Boris Tadić, Đelić was the official who in late April signed the SAA with the EU, but Brussels decided to immediately suspend this association deal. In the meantime, Belgrade decided to implement it unilaterally.

Now, Đelić says that EC's Pierre Mirrel, who was recently in Belgrade, revealed that "they [EU] are technically ready to implement the customs part of the SAA, so that, as far as they're concerned, it will not be called 'agreement implementation', because they still have no mandate to do that".

According to the deputy PM, the SAA will be "de facto implemented as of January 1, in its most important element, and that is foreign trade".

Đelić also said that Serbia's position over conditions involving Kosovo for the sake of EU integrations is "clear and predictable".

"It's always worth to warn that Serbia will not accept any blackmail over Kosovo. What is harder is the Hague condition. Instead of increased flexibility after months of activities that proved our commitment to cooperating with the Hague Tribunal, I can conclude that the opposite is happening."

"More and more often, the Dutch side is saying that full cooperation means Mladić's extradition to the Hague," he concluded.

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