Dutch parliament to discuss SAA Thursday

The Dutch parliament’s foreign policy committee will today decide if it is possible for that country to change its position on signing the SAA with Serbia. Committee President Henk Jan Ormel was on a visit to Belgrade at the beginning of this week in order to find out about Serbia’s position on the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) and further cooperation with the Hague Tribunal. Dutch parliament to discuss SAA Thursday Government ministers, however, do not believe Holland will relax its stance on the condition of Serbia’s full cooperation with the Hague, or that Brussels will offer to sign the agreement before May 11. Whether Holland will nevertheless change its present position on full cooperation being a prerequisite for the SAA signing will become clear after today’s session of the Dutch parliament’s foreign policy committee. During his visit to Belgrade, B92 understands that Ormel informed Belgrade officials that Holland was taking Serbia’s arguments into consideration but that, for now, it continued to insist that Ratko Mladic and the other fugitives had to be in The Hague before Holland gave the green light for the SAA. President of the National Council for Cooperation with the Hague Tribunal Rasim Ljajic said that Serbia was doing everything it could to successfully complete cooperation with the Tribunal, but stressed that Holland’s conduct was counterproductive. “Holland’s position helps neither democratization in Serbia, nor stability in the region in any way. We know that we will have to fulfill that condition on our further road towards European integration and we are aware of that condition, but at this moment in time, it is hampering Serbia’s European road—I don’t think it is good. On the contrary, it will have unforeseeable implications for the whole region,” Ljajic warned. For now, it is not realistic to expect to sign the SAA with the European Union because of Holland’s position, believes Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic. “I’ve always said the same thing. And that is, firstly, that in the event the EU offers the agreement to Serbia— and for that, a consensus of all the member states is necessary—we will sign it. At the same time I’ve said that that is unlikely to happen before the elections,” Djelic stated. Today’s session of the Dutch parliament’s foreign policy committee will be attended by representatives of the Europe Has No Alternative student organization. Srecko Sekeljic, a member of the delegation, has said that he will inform officials in the Dutch parliament that pro-European young people in Serbia needed EU support. “We’ll have the chance to prove to MPs and members of that committee that help from EU institutions for the democratic forces in Serbia and Serbian citizens is necessary, in the sense of giving clear signals that its citizens are welcome in the Union and that Serbia is a member of the European family,” explained Sekeljic.

Dutch parliament to discuss SAA Thursday

Government ministers, however, do not believe Holland will relax its stance on the condition of Serbia’s full cooperation with the Hague, or that Brussels will offer to sign the agreement before May 11.

Whether Holland will nevertheless change its present position on full cooperation being a prerequisite for the SAA signing will become clear after today’s session of the Dutch parliament’s foreign policy committee.

During his visit to Belgrade, B92 understands that Ormel informed Belgrade officials that Holland was taking Serbia’s arguments into consideration but that, for now, it continued to insist that Ratko Mladić and the other fugitives had to be in The Hague before Holland gave the green light for the SAA.

President of the National Council for Cooperation with the Hague Tribunal Rasim Ljajić said that Serbia was doing everything it could to successfully complete cooperation with the Tribunal, but stressed that Holland’s conduct was counterproductive.

“Holland’s position helps neither democratization in Serbia, nor stability in the region in any way. We know that we will have to fulfill that condition on our further road towards European integration and we are aware of that condition, but at this moment in time, it is hampering Serbia’s European road—I don’t think it is good. On the contrary, it will have unforeseeable implications for the whole region,” Ljajić warned.

For now, it is not realistic to expect to sign the SAA with the European Union because of Holland’s position, believes Deputy Prime Minister Božidar Đelić.

“I’ve always said the same thing. And that is, firstly, that in the event the EU offers the agreement to Serbia— and for that, a consensus of all the member states is necessary—we will sign it. At the same time I’ve said that that is unlikely to happen before the elections,” Đelić stated.

Today’s session of the Dutch parliament’s foreign policy committee will be attended by representatives of the Europe Has No Alternative student organization.

Srećko Šekeljić, a member of the delegation, has said that he will inform officials in the Dutch parliament that pro-European young people in Serbia needed EU support.

“We’ll have the chance to prove to MPs and members of that committee that help from EU institutions for the democratic forces in Serbia and Serbian citizens is necessary, in the sense of giving clear signals that its citizens are welcome in the Union and that Serbia is a member of the European family,” explained Šekeljić.