Germany: Too early for Serbia’s EU candidacy

Sources from the German government said two days ahead of the EU summit in Brussels that Germany believed it was too early to grant Serbia the candidate status. The German government therefore is not ready to agree with a decision to grant Serbia the EU candidate status, the sources stated. Germany: Too early for Serbia’s EU candidacy German Chancellor Angela Merkel said last Friday in Bundestag that “conditions necessary to grant Serbia the EU candidate status have not been fulfilled for now” and that “Serbia’s path to the EU leads only through normalization of relations with Kosovo”. She added that “the EU and the German government have formulated their expectations (regarding Serbia) in a form of concrete steps in time”. The German economy however “strongly advocates position that Serbia should get the candidate status,” Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations Director Rainer Lindner told Beta news agency. The Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations is the oldest and the most prominent German economic institution which has ties with companies and economic organizations in the countries of the former USSR, east and southeast Europe. “Even if Serbia does not get the candidate status this Friday, the German economy sees it as a postponement not as giving up on the course. In any case, we will use the remaining two days to strongly point out the German economy’s position,” Lindner stressed. Angela Merkel (Tanjug, file) "There's a chance" Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt touched on the subject on Wednesday in Brussels to say that there was "definitely a chance" that Serbia would be given the status of candidate for EU membership on Friday. "Is it certain it will happen? No. But there is a substantial chance. There are, however, a number of questions still that are to be sorted out," he said, quoted by Reuters. Bildt is a staunch supporter of EU enlargement and Serbia's candidacy bid, the news agency said. "Candidacy would help security" A European Union decision this week to grant Serbia the status of candidate would boost regional security. This is according to NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who spoke on Wednesday. It is for the European Union to decide whether to grant Serbia candidate status when leaders of the 27-nation bloc meet in Brussels on Friday, Rasmussen told the press ahead of the meeting of NATO foreign ministers. "I am not going to interfere with EU business," he told reporters, when asked if such a decision would be positive or negative for security in the region. "But in general, I do believe that any step that can improve the relationship between countries in the region and the Euro-Atlantic structures, including the European Union and NATO, will benefit not only the region but Europe as a whole," he said, quoted by Reuters.

Germany: Too early for Serbia’s EU candidacy

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said last Friday in Bundestag that “conditions necessary to grant Serbia the EU candidate status have not been fulfilled for now” and that “Serbia’s path to the EU leads only through normalization of relations with Kosovo”.

She added that “the EU and the German government have formulated their expectations (regarding Serbia) in a form of concrete steps in time”.

The German economy however “strongly advocates position that Serbia should get the candidate status,” Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations Director Rainer Lindner told Beta news agency.

The Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations is the oldest and the most prominent German economic institution which has ties with companies and economic organizations in the countries of the former USSR, east and southeast Europe.

“Even if Serbia does not get the candidate status this Friday, the German economy sees it as a postponement not as giving up on the course. In any case, we will use the remaining two days to strongly point out the German economy’s position,” Lindner stressed.

"There's a chance"

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt touched on the subject on Wednesday in Brussels to say that there was "definitely a chance" that Serbia would be given the status of candidate for EU membership on Friday.

"Is it certain it will happen? No. But there is a substantial chance. There are, however, a number of questions still that are to be sorted out," he said, quoted by Reuters.

Bildt is a staunch supporter of EU enlargement and Serbia's candidacy bid, the news agency said.

"Candidacy would help security"

A European Union decision this week to grant Serbia the status of candidate would boost regional security.

This is according to NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who spoke on Wednesday.

It is for the European Union to decide whether to grant Serbia candidate status when leaders of the 27-nation bloc meet in Brussels on Friday, Rasmussen told the press ahead of the meeting of NATO foreign ministers.

"I am not going to interfere with EU business," he told reporters, when asked if such a decision would be positive or negative for security in the region.

"But in general, I do believe that any step that can improve the relationship between countries in the region and the Euro-Atlantic structures, including the European Union and NATO, will benefit not only the region but Europe as a whole," he said, quoted by Reuters.