Italy calls for ratification in February

Italy wants the Czech EU Presidency to put ratification of the Interim Agreement with Serbia on the agenda of the next EU Council of Ministers, says Italy’s FM. “The talks ought to move from the field of experts to that of policy that EU ministers are responsible for,“ said Frattini at he end of a celebration marking 130 years of diplomatic relations between Italy and Serbia, which is under way in Rome. Italy calls for ratification in February “We should overcome the difficulties that exist in the unfreezing of the Interim Agreement, bearing in mind the progress Serbia has made in its cooperation with the Hague Tribunal,“ said Frattini. The minister said that the liberalization of the visa regime between Serbia and the EU might take effect very soon. “This may happen before European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso ends his term of office (in October 2009) or even before the summer,“ Frattini underlined, adding that there was no need for this issue to be postponed until November when the next meeting of the European Commission is scheduled. He pointed out that visa regime liberalization was a clear sign of mutual trust. For his part, Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic said that with the strong support of Italy and other good friends in Europe, Serbia could obtain EU candidate status by the end of the year. Jeremic reiterated that Serbia's central strategic priority was to join the European Union as soon as possible. Franco Frattini (FoNet, archive)

Italy calls for ratification in February

“We should overcome the difficulties that exist in the unfreezing of the Interim Agreement, bearing in mind the progress Serbia has made in its cooperation with the Hague Tribunal,“ said Frattini.

The minister said that the liberalization of the visa regime between Serbia and the EU might take effect very soon.

“This may happen before European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso ends his term of office (in October 2009) or even before the summer,“ Frattini underlined, adding that there was no need for this issue to be postponed until November when the next meeting of the European Commission is scheduled.

He pointed out that visa regime liberalization was a clear sign of mutual trust.

For his part, Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić said that with the strong support of Italy and other good friends in Europe, Serbia could obtain EU candidate status by the end of the year.

Jeremić reiterated that Serbia's central strategic priority was to join the European Union as soon as possible.