PM adamant: SAA or EU mission

Vojislav Kostunica insists that Serbia will only sign the SAA if the EU refrains from sending its “illegal mission” to Kosovo. The prime minister said today that signing the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU had to be in Serbia's interests, just as the energy agreement with the Russian government on cooperation in the oil and gas sector was in the interests of the citizens and the economy. PM adamant: SAA or EU mission On January 25, the Serbian government will sign a strategic agreement with Russia on cooperation in the energy sector, Kostunica said in a statement to Tanjug, stressing that the agreement was in the interests of the nation as a whole and would be of great benefit to future economic development. He added that, as far as signing the SAA was concerned, the EU had to choose between signing the agreement with Serbia or illegally sending a mission to Kosovo. “If the agreement with the EU is to be in the interests of Serbia and its citizens, it has to be in line with the founding principles of international law, which is why the EU must give up on its attempt to send its mission, and should unequivocally support Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders,” reiterated Kostunica. Meanwhile, an adviser to Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic, Vladimir Todoric, has said that the government has still not received an invitation from the EU to go and sign the SAA. Todoric stressed, however, that last year, the government had received the invitation to initial the agreement only a day in advance. “We hope Serbia will sign the SAA on January 28. The EU’s Council of Ministers will convene on January 28, and signings are performed at those meetings,” he told daily Danas. “Holland and Belgium still oppose the signing, while the other EU member-states are in favor of concluding the agreement with Serbia. We expect the position of the European countries to be clarified in the next few days as to whether or not we sign on January 28,” the adviser explained. President of the National Council for Cooperation with the Hague Tribunal Rasim Ljajic and War Crimes Prosecutor Vladimir Vukcevic will meet tomorrow in Brussels with European Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn. The purpose of the meeting is to inform Brussels of progress made in Hague cooperation and of operations aimed at catching the remaining fugitives. Vojislav Kostunica (FoNet, archive)

PM adamant: SAA or EU mission

On January 25, the Serbian government will sign a strategic agreement with Russia on cooperation in the energy sector, Koštunica said in a statement to Tanjug, stressing that the agreement was in the interests of the nation as a whole and would be of great benefit to future economic development.

He added that, as far as signing the SAA was concerned, the EU had to choose between signing the agreement with Serbia or illegally sending a mission to Kosovo.

“If the agreement with the EU is to be in the interests of Serbia and its citizens, it has to be in line with the founding principles of international law, which is why the EU must give up on its attempt to send its mission, and should unequivocally support Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders,” reiterated Koštunica.

Meanwhile, an adviser to Deputy Prime Minister Božidar Đelić, Vladimir Todorić, has said that the government has still not received an invitation from the EU to go and sign the SAA.

Todorić stressed, however, that last year, the government had received the invitation to initial the agreement only a day in advance.

“We hope Serbia will sign the SAA on January 28. The EU’s Council of Ministers will convene on January 28, and signings are performed at those meetings,” he told daily Danas.

“Holland and Belgium still oppose the signing, while the other EU member-states are in favor of concluding the agreement with Serbia. We expect the position of the European countries to be clarified in the next few days as to whether or not we sign on January 28,” the adviser explained.

President of the National Council for Cooperation with the Hague Tribunal Rasim Ljajić and War Crimes Prosecutor Vladimir Vukčević will meet tomorrow in Brussels with European Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn.

The purpose of the meeting is to inform Brussels of progress made in Hague cooperation and of operations aimed at catching the remaining fugitives.