Dačić, EP official talk EU integration

European Parliament Rapporteur for Serbia Jelko Kacin said that Serbia needs to take the process of applying for European Union candidacy step by step. “Serbia is moving step by step, faster and faster, but it is not possible to skip several steps which are needed for Serbia,” Kacin said after meeting with Serbia's Interior Minister and First Deputy PM Ivica Dacic late on Sunday in Belgrade. Dacic, EP official talk EU integration He said that it is not the goal of Serbia to just submit a demand for become a candidate, but to receive a positive answer from the EU. Kacin added that it is important for the pro-European forces to make the next step towards EU integration. “I was not of the opinion that the government had made that decision,” Kacin said, adding that it is important for Serbia to make convincing steps in cooperation with the Hague Tribunal, which would lead to an unfreezing of the interim trade agreement. “The process of the ratification of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) would begin then, and then the European Parliament would confirm in its 2010 calendar the period for which this question would be debated,” Kacin said. He explained that he talked with Dacic about the situation in the region and said that he expects that the Serbian government will help Bosnia-Herzegovina in fulfilling the conditions for visa liberalization, which the European Commission and the EU will prepare the beginning of dialogue for Kosovo’s visa liberalization. “Serbia can be the engine of the entire region, it has the capacity for this, steps must be harmonized and convincing and well-prepared in order to reach the united goal for the integration of the entire region into the EU,” he said. Dacic said that reaching the goal of abolishing visas is a very important step for Serbia continuing its road to become a member-state of the EU. “We expect a final decision on November 30 at the summit of foreign and justice ministers, and we thank Slovenia for the initiative to have the decision for abolishing visas take power earlier than planned,” Dacic said. He said that Serbia expects an unfreezing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement and the implementation of everything that the document entails. Dacic said that his ministry is focused on completing the conditions for visa liberalization in order to create the condition for discussing with their EU partners the right time for submitting Serbia’s application for candidate status. “The strategic goal of Serbia is EU membership and we expect that the interim agreement with the EU will be unfrozen very quickly, once the political conditions for doing so are met, which will create further conditions for Serbia’s EU integration,” Dacic said. “It is important for us to have Serbian continue its reforms and to create standards in its legislations and other spheres that will enable the country to become a full-fledged EU member-state as soon as possible,” the minister added. Dacic, Kacin in Belgrade on Sunday (Beta)

Dačić, EP official talk EU integration

He said that it is not the goal of Serbia to just submit a demand for become a candidate, but to receive a positive answer from the EU.

Kacin added that it is important for the pro-European forces to make the next step towards EU integration.

“I was not of the opinion that the government had made that decision,” Kacin said, adding that it is important for Serbia to make convincing steps in cooperation with the Hague Tribunal, which would lead to an unfreezing of the interim trade agreement.

“The process of the ratification of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) would begin then, and then the European Parliament would confirm in its 2010 calendar the period for which this question would be debated,” Kacin said.

He explained that he talked with Dačić about the situation in the region and said that he expects that the Serbian government will help Bosnia-Herzegovina in fulfilling the conditions for visa liberalization, which the European Commission and the EU will prepare the beginning of dialogue for Kosovo’s visa liberalization.

“Serbia can be the engine of the entire region, it has the capacity for this, steps must be harmonized and convincing and well-prepared in order to reach the united goal for the integration of the entire region into the EU,” he said.

Dačić said that reaching the goal of abolishing visas is a very important step for Serbia continuing its road to become a member-state of the EU.

“We expect a final decision on November 30 at the summit of foreign and justice ministers, and we thank Slovenia for the initiative to have the decision for abolishing visas take power earlier than planned,” Dačić said.

He said that Serbia expects an unfreezing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement and the implementation of everything that the document entails.

Dačić said that his ministry is focused on completing the conditions for visa liberalization in order to create the condition for discussing with their EU partners the right time for submitting Serbia’s application for candidate status.

“The strategic goal of Serbia is EU membership and we expect that the interim agreement with the EU will be unfrozen very quickly, once the political conditions for doing so are met, which will create further conditions for Serbia’s EU integration,” Dačić said.

“It is important for us to have Serbian continue its reforms and to create standards in its legislations and other spheres that will enable the country to become a full-fledged EU member-state as soon as possible,” the minister added.