Ambassadors' Conference under way in Belgrade

President Boris Tadic and Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic opened the Ambassadors' Conference in Belgrade today. The gathering is attended by Serbia's diplomatic representatives abroad. Ambassadors' Conference under way in Belgrade Jeremic told the diplomats that Serbia's foreign policy priorities in 2011 will remain the same, and those are progress towards the EU membership and a peaceful defense of the country's constitutional order. Opening the Ambassadors' Conference, Jeremic said that Europe is Serbia's strategic priority, adding that the country's aim for 2011 is to receive a EU candidate status and that the date for beginning of EU accession negotiations be determined. The minister pointed out that the Serbian diplomacy will try to prevent new recognitions of Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence and the possibility that Pristina authorities be accepted in international organizations which comprise sovereign states, and help preserve a "healthy international environment" for the forthcoming dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. Serbia's principled stand on the unilateral proclamation of Kosovo's independence will remain the same in 2011: we shall not, either implicitly or explicitly, recognize that independence,” the Serbian foreign minister underlined, and thanked all the countries that respect the territorial integrity of Serbia. Jeremic reiterated that Serbia advocates the dialogue with the authorities in Pristina to start as soon as possible, which would be aimed at reaching a solution that would be acceptable to all parties. However, he cautioned that no distortion of facts or use of force in attempts to block the dialogue are to be tolerated. “This also refers to the attempts of the authorities in Pristina to expand their power onto the northern (Serb-dominated) part of Kosovo, regardless of the opposition of the local inhabitants,” he said, pointing out that “if that happened, peace could be seriously threatened.” Jeremic also mentioned the report of Council of Europe (CoE) Rapporteur Dick Marty on human organ trafficking, in which Kosovo Albanian Prime Minister Hashim Thaci is qualified as the boss of a criminal group that engaged in such activities. The special guest of this year's conference is Slovakia's Foreign Minister Mikulas Dzurinda. (Tanjug) No better alternative Serbian President Boris Tadic stated on Wednesday that there is no better alternative for Serbia than joining the EU, adding that the country's EU membership would help overcome many historical misunderstandings in the Western Balkans. Addressing the participants of the ambassadors' conference held in Belgrade, Tadic said that the EU integration is Serbia's most important political goal for 2011 and the years to come. "Serbia's priority goal is to obtain the EU candidate status, but at this point we cannot say if the date for the beginning of negotiations on the EU accession will be determined this year or next," Tadic stressed. The process of "Balkanization" is still present in every country in the region, and a "debalkanization of the Balkans" should be carried out with reforms that would not renounce the identity of any of those countries, which is exactly what Serbia's goal is, according to Tadic. He pointed out that Serbia's second most important goal is the defense of national interests in Kosovo and Metohija, which is embedded in both history and the Constitution. Tadic said that the Serbian diplomacy must also address this issue, as Kosovo was internationalized during the 1990s. The president pointed to the importance of regional cooperation, adding that the Western Balkan region is the area of Serbia's most significant economic interests. He said that economic recovery and the completion of judicial reforms will pose a challenge for Serbia in 2011 as well.

Ambassadors' Conference under way in Belgrade

Jeremić told the diplomats that Serbia's foreign policy priorities in 2011 will remain the same, and those are progress towards the EU membership and a peaceful defense of the country's constitutional order.

Opening the Ambassadors' Conference, Jeremić said that Europe is Serbia's strategic priority, adding that the country's aim for 2011 is to receive a EU candidate status and that the date for beginning of EU accession negotiations be determined.

The minister pointed out that the Serbian diplomacy will try to prevent new recognitions of Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence and the possibility that Priština authorities be accepted in international organizations which comprise sovereign states, and help preserve a "healthy international environment" for the forthcoming dialogue between Belgrade and Priština.

Serbia's principled stand on the unilateral proclamation of Kosovo's independence will remain the same in 2011: we shall not, either implicitly or explicitly, recognize that independence,” the Serbian foreign minister underlined, and thanked all the countries that respect the territorial integrity of Serbia.

Jeremić reiterated that Serbia advocates the dialogue with the authorities in Priština to start as soon as possible, which would be aimed at reaching a solution that would be acceptable to all parties. However, he cautioned that no distortion of facts or use of force in attempts to block the dialogue are to be tolerated.

“This also refers to the attempts of the authorities in Priština to expand their power onto the northern (Serb-dominated) part of Kosovo, regardless of the opposition of the local inhabitants,” he said, pointing out that “if that happened, peace could be seriously threatened.”

Jeremić also mentioned the report of Council of Europe (CoE) Rapporteur Dick Marty on human organ trafficking, in which Kosovo Albanian Prime Minister Hashim Thaci is qualified as the boss of a criminal group that engaged in such activities.

The special guest of this year's conference is Slovakia's Foreign Minister Mikulas Dzurinda.

No better alternative

Serbian President Boris Tadić stated on Wednesday that there is no better alternative for Serbia than joining the EU, adding that the country's EU membership would help overcome many historical misunderstandings in the Western Balkans.

Addressing the participants of the ambassadors' conference held in Belgrade, Tadić said that the EU integration is Serbia's most important political goal for 2011 and the years to come.

"Serbia's priority goal is to obtain the EU candidate status, but at this point we cannot say if the date for the beginning of negotiations on the EU accession will be determined this year or next," Tadić stressed.

The process of "Balkanization" is still present in every country in the region, and a "debalkanization of the Balkans" should be carried out with reforms that would not renounce the identity of any of those countries, which is exactly what Serbia's goal is, according to Tadić.

He pointed out that Serbia's second most important goal is the defense of national interests in Kosovo and Metohija, which is embedded in both history and the Constitution.

Tadić said that the Serbian diplomacy must also address this issue, as Kosovo was internationalized during the 1990s.

The president pointed to the importance of regional cooperation, adding that the Western Balkan region is the area of Serbia's most significant economic interests.

He said that economic recovery and the completion of judicial reforms will pose a challenge for Serbia in 2011 as well.