Sweden announces support for W. Balkans

Sweden, which today assumes the rotating EU presidency, has announced its support for the Balkans’ integration and visa liberalization. Stockholm begins its presidency with a new-look European Parliament that was constituted after the elections in June, while the formation of the European Commission is expected in the autumn. Sweden announces support for W. Balkans As a result, the EC’s progress report on member-state hopefuls will be published in October, rather than November. With regards to the EU integration of the Western Balkans, Sweden believes that the whole region needs to “move forward“ in integration, but that the individual countries will advance at different speeds, based on meeting their respective criteria. Sweden supports the lifting of the visa regime for the Western Balkan states, a decision that will be taken before the end of its presidency, once the EC’s recommendation is individually approved by all the member-states later this month. Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt (FoNet, archive) Bildt: Serbia cooperating with Hague Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt believes that Serbia is now fully cooperating with the Hague Tribunal, even though two fugitives remain at large. “I’m among those who think that Serbia is cooperating with the Hague Tribunal, but that that cooperation has yet to bring ultimate success,“ Bildt told reporters invited to Stockholm on the occasion of Sweden assuming the rotating EU presidency. Hague Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz did not use the phrase “full cooperation,“ Bildt noted, adding that “he (Brammertz) outlines the specifics, and we in the EU need to assess whether cooperation is complete, based on those specifics.“ “We need to see whether the other EU member states agree with my opinion on full cooperation,“ said the foreign minister. Meanwhile, Swedish Migration and Asylum Minister Tobias Billstrom said the biggest, and maybe only problem when it came to visa liberalization for Serbia was Kosovo, though not in a political, but technical sense. “We want to liberalize the visa regime with Serbia, but not Kosovo, as dialogue on visa liberalization is being conducted with Serbia, not Kosovo. The EU cannot afford to negotiate with one state, and for that then to apply to another state that hasn’t taken part in that process,“ said the minister. According to daily Dnevnik, he said that no final solution had been reached on this issue, but added that talks were ongoing and that he hoped the problem would be resolved by the end of the Swedish presidency.

Sweden announces support for W. Balkans

As a result, the EC’s progress report on member-state hopefuls will be published in October, rather than November.

With regards to the EU integration of the Western Balkans, Sweden believes that the whole region needs to “move forward“ in integration, but that the individual countries will advance at different speeds, based on meeting their respective criteria.

Sweden supports the lifting of the visa regime for the Western Balkan states, a decision that will be taken before the end of its presidency, once the EC’s recommendation is individually approved by all the member-states later this month.

Bildt: Serbia cooperating with Hague

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt believes that Serbia is now fully cooperating with the Hague Tribunal, even though two fugitives remain at large.

“I’m among those who think that Serbia is cooperating with the Hague Tribunal, but that that cooperation has yet to bring ultimate success,“ Bildt told reporters invited to Stockholm on the occasion of Sweden assuming the rotating EU presidency.

Hague Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz did not use the phrase “full cooperation,“ Bildt noted, adding that “he (Brammertz) outlines the specifics, and we in the EU need to assess whether cooperation is complete, based on those specifics.“

“We need to see whether the other EU member states agree with my opinion on full cooperation,“ said the foreign minister.

Meanwhile, Swedish Migration and Asylum Minister Tobias Billstrom said the biggest, and maybe only problem when it came to visa liberalization for Serbia was Kosovo, though not in a political, but technical sense.

“We want to liberalize the visa regime with Serbia, but not Kosovo, as dialogue on visa liberalization is being conducted with Serbia, not Kosovo. The EU cannot afford to negotiate with one state, and for that then to apply to another state that hasn’t taken part in that process,“ said the minister.

According to daily Dnevnik, he said that no final solution had been reached on this issue, but added that talks were ongoing and that he hoped the problem would be resolved by the end of the Swedish presidency.