“Serbia will not accept impossible conditions”

Serbian President Boris Tadic said Tuesday night that the EU accession was a complex process during which every EU member state could impose its own condition. He stressed, however, that Serbia would not agree to impossible conditions and would not give up on its principles. “Serbia will not accept impossible conditions” “If we do not define red lines, no one will take us seriously,” Tadic told Radio Television of Serbia (RTS), adding that it also applied to the issue of Vlach minority. “If Serbia showed weakness and agreed to blackmails, there would be no end to them. It is important that we stick firmly to our principles,” the Serbian president said. “The core of the issue of Vlach minority lies in the fact that Romania expects Vlachs residing in Serbia to declare themselves as members of the Romanian national minority, but some Vlachs oppose that,” he explained. “We understand Romania. However, we cannot give up on our principles,” Tadic noted, underlining that one of these principles was the respect for international conventions on human rights, according to which each and every citizen of Serbia had the right to declare themselves freely. When asked what Serbia's next step would be, if the EU heads of states and governments approved the recommendation about Serbia's candidate status at the forthcoming summit on March 1-2, Tadic said that Serbia deserved to receive the date for commencement of accession talks and that the Kosovo issue was the only obstacle. “I expect that we will get the date for commencement of accession talks in the foreseeable future. If the EU Council confirms the recommendation, we should instantly work on receiving the date for start of accession talks and that is an achievable goal,” the president pointed out. He once again said that he did not want to give forecasts as to the outcome of the meeting scheduled for March 1-2. “My job is to work on that, and not to make forecasts. I will be in contact with the EU senior officials in the coming days. There would be a chance to celebrate the candidate status, but after it is all over,” Tadic concluded. Boris Tadic (Tanjug, file) Tanjug

“Serbia will not accept impossible conditions”

“If we do not define red lines, no one will take us seriously,” Tadić told Radio Television of Serbia (RTS), adding that it also applied to the issue of Vlach minority.

“If Serbia showed weakness and agreed to blackmails, there would be no end to them. It is important that we stick firmly to our principles,” the Serbian president said.

“The core of the issue of Vlach minority lies in the fact that Romania expects Vlachs residing in Serbia to declare themselves as members of the Romanian national minority, but some Vlachs oppose that,” he explained.

“We understand Romania. However, we cannot give up on our principles,” Tadić noted, underlining that one of these principles was the respect for international conventions on human rights, according to which each and every citizen of Serbia had the right to declare themselves freely.

When asked what Serbia's next step would be, if the EU heads of states and governments approved the recommendation about Serbia's candidate status at the forthcoming summit on March 1-2, Tadić said that Serbia deserved to receive the date for commencement of accession talks and that the Kosovo issue was the only obstacle.

“I expect that we will get the date for commencement of accession talks in the foreseeable future. If the EU Council confirms the recommendation, we should instantly work on receiving the date for start of accession talks and that is an achievable goal,” the president pointed out.

He once again said that he did not want to give forecasts as to the outcome of the meeting scheduled for March 1-2.

“My job is to work on that, and not to make forecasts. I will be in contact with the EU senior officials in the coming days. There would be a chance to celebrate the candidate status, but after it is all over,” Tadić concluded.