"Serbia must fulfil candidacy conditions on time"

Serbia can become candidate for EU membership if it fulfills the conditions on time, EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule said on Tuesday. Fule met with Serbia's Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic in Brussels today. "Serbia must fulfil candidacy conditions on time" "I acknowledged the commitment of the Serbian leadership to European integration. I stressed the EU still expects an active approach to the continuation of the dialogue with Pristina, and tangible progress, especially on the issue of regional representation," Fule said in a written statement for the media. According to him, if progress is made in time, the European Council will confirm the decision to grant Serbia candidate status at its next session. Jeremic is in Brussels for a two-day visit where on Monday he held a series of bilateral meetings with EU foreign ministers on the sidelines of the Council of the EU meeting. He met with the foreign ministers of Germany, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Romania. After a meeting with his German counterpart, Guido Westerwelle, Jeremic said there is now a better understanding between Serbia and Germany, while Westerwelle pointed out Serbia should get EU candidate status towards the end of February if it meets the conditions set by the Council by this time. The main conditions are a continuation of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and coming to an agreement on regional representation of Kosovo. (Beta) "Success possible" Serbia's Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic said in Brussels on Tuesday Serbia has a chance to become a EU candidate in February despite limited space for maneuvering. There is now a far better understanding about which things should be done to achieve success, Jeremic stated after a two-day visit to Brussels, where he met with a number of EU colleagues. Summing up, Jeremic said his EU colleagues had a positive attitude in terms of the Western Balkans and Serbia's candidate status, which will be decided in late February. Foreign Ministers of EU member states will decide on the status on February 27-28, and the decision will be confirmed at the heads-of-state summit on March 1. "There is a belief an agreement is possible and a desire to take the necessary steps to avoid last minute drama, the way it happened in December," Jeremic remarked. The December meeting of the European Council was characterized by suspense over whether Belgrade and Pristina would agree on Kosovo's regional representation, so it was decided that Serbia's candidate status should be discussed in February. "Our space for maneuvering is limited and there are limits, but we will do everything to get a positive outcome within the existing space," Jeremic said. He met in Brussels with colleagues from Germany, Sweden, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Romania, Belgium and Denmark, as well as with EU Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Fule. Jeremic is scheduled to travel to Rome next and then on Thursday to attend a meeting of the Organization of African Unity in Addis Ababa. Tanjug

"Serbia must fulfil candidacy conditions on time"

"I acknowledged the commitment of the Serbian leadership to European integration. I stressed the EU still expects an active approach to the continuation of the dialogue with Priština, and tangible progress, especially on the issue of regional representation," Fule said in a written statement for the media.

According to him, if progress is made in time, the European Council will confirm the decision to grant Serbia candidate status at its next session.

Jeremić is in Brussels for a two-day visit where on Monday he held a series of bilateral meetings with EU foreign ministers on the sidelines of the Council of the EU meeting.

He met with the foreign ministers of Germany, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Romania.

After a meeting with his German counterpart, Guido Westerwelle, Jeremić said there is now a better understanding between Serbia and Germany, while Westerwelle pointed out Serbia should get EU candidate status towards the end of February if it meets the conditions set by the Council by this time.

The main conditions are a continuation of the Belgrade-Priština dialogue and coming to an agreement on regional representation of Kosovo.

"Success possible"

Serbia's Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić said in Brussels on Tuesday Serbia has a chance to become a EU candidate in February despite limited space for maneuvering.

There is now a far better understanding about which things should be done to achieve success, Jeremić stated after a two-day visit to Brussels, where he met with a number of EU colleagues.

Summing up, Jeremić said his EU colleagues had a positive attitude in terms of the Western Balkans and Serbia's candidate status, which will be decided in late February.

Foreign Ministers of EU member states will decide on the status on February 27-28, and the decision will be confirmed at the heads-of-state summit on March 1.

"There is a belief an agreement is possible and a desire to take the necessary steps to avoid last minute drama, the way it happened in December," Jeremić remarked.

The December meeting of the European Council was characterized by suspense over whether Belgrade and Priština would agree on Kosovo's regional representation, so it was decided that Serbia's candidate status should be discussed in February.

"Our space for maneuvering is limited and there are limits, but we will do everything to get a positive outcome within the existing space," Jeremić said.

He met in Brussels with colleagues from Germany, Sweden, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Romania, Belgium and Denmark, as well as with EU Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Fule.

Jeremić is scheduled to travel to Rome next and then on Thursday to attend a meeting of the Organization of African Unity in Addis Ababa.