U.S. official talks Serbian EU bid, "neighboring countries"

A visiting U.S. State Department official said on Wednesday that Serbia and the United States had improved their bilateral relations. They shared the same vision of Serbia in the European Union, said U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Philip Gordon. U.S. official talks Serbian EU bid, "neighboring countries" Gordon also noted that the bar had been set high for EU membership but that the doors were not closed for Serbia. The Union has become bigger and more careful with every new member, and certain members experience the enlargement fatigue. However, I do not think that that the doors have been shut on Serbia. The U.S. believes they should not be closed, Gordon said in an interview for the Radio and Television of Serbia (RTS). According to him, the U.S. does not think the conditions for accession have either changed or should change. "There is also the request for a full cooperation in the prosecution of war crimes, Gordon pointed out. It is true that the arrest of Ratko Mladic was a significant step ahead, but the fact that the remaining Hague Tribunal indictee, Goran Hadzic, is still on the run, keeps the issue open," he said. The U.S. shares the view with a significant number of EU countries, the U.S. assistant secretary said, adding that Serbia, for its part, should resolve the Kosovo issue as well. The Union cannot accept a new member if they have not resolved relationship or border issues with their "neighboring country," Gordon said. When the RTS journalist noted that Serbia did not recognize Kosovo as a "neighboring country" and asked him if the recognition of independence would be a major condition for Serbia to join the EU, the U.S. Department of State official said that the EU would decide independently whether a formal diplomatic recognition of Kosovo was a condition for joining the Union. Philip Gordon (Beta)

U.S. official talks Serbian EU bid, "neighboring countries"

Gordon also noted that the bar had been set high for EU membership but that the doors were not closed for Serbia.

The Union has become bigger and more careful with every new member, and certain members experience the enlargement fatigue. However, I do not think that that the doors have been shut on Serbia. The U.S. believes they should not be closed, Gordon said in an interview for the Radio and Television of Serbia (RTS).

According to him, the U.S. does not think the conditions for accession have either changed or should change.

"There is also the request for a full cooperation in the prosecution of war crimes, Gordon pointed out. It is true that the arrest of Ratko Mladić was a significant step ahead, but the fact that the remaining Hague Tribunal indictee, Goran Hadžić, is still on the run, keeps the issue open," he said.

The U.S. shares the view with a significant number of EU countries, the U.S. assistant secretary said, adding that Serbia, for its part, should resolve the Kosovo issue as well.

The Union cannot accept a new member if they have not resolved relationship or border issues with their "neighboring country," Gordon said.

When the RTS journalist noted that Serbia did not recognize Kosovo as a "neighboring country" and asked him if the recognition of independence would be a major condition for Serbia to join the EU, the U.S. Department of State official said that the EU would decide independently whether a formal diplomatic recognition of Kosovo was a condition for joining the Union.