Deputy PM: Candidate status by end of 2011

Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic said that Serbia could gain EU candidate status by the end of the next year. He also added that the date for starting the talks on the country's accession into the European Union could be set for mid-2012. Deputy PM: Candidate status by end of 2011 “The meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels was a big progress for us because it showed that there is an obvious consensus within the EU to forward our application to the European Commission,” Djelic told Blic. Djelic also said that Germany and France, the two influential EU countries that have thus far been reserved, gave clear support to the consideration of Serbia's application on Monday. According to Djelic, Serbia is ready to take the next step and answer the questionnaire of the European Commission, which he believes would soon be forwarded to the institution. “I will meet with EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele in Brussels on Wednesday and I will inform him about Serbia's expectations to receive the questionnaire soon,“ said Djelic.

Deputy PM: Candidate status by end of 2011

“The meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels was a big progress for us because it showed that there is an obvious consensus within the EU to forward our application to the European Commission,” Đelić told Blic.

Đelić also said that Germany and France, the two influential EU countries that have thus far been reserved, gave clear support to the consideration of Serbia's application on Monday.

According to Đelić, Serbia is ready to take the next step and answer the questionnaire of the European Commission, which he believes would soon be forwarded to the institution.

“I will meet with EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele in Brussels on Wednesday and I will inform him about Serbia's expectations to receive the questionnaire soon,“ said Đelić.