"EU, Kosovo should remain foreign policy priorities"

BELGRADE The first move by the next government regarding foreign policy should be to adopt a strategy formulating a clear stand on Kosovo, analysts believe. They also stress EU integration as a priority of Serbia's foreign policy. "EU, Kosovo should remain foreign policy priorities" Serbia's former Ambassador to France Predrag Simic told Tanjug the government must take a stand on Kosovo very quickly so that it would be clear what the consensus Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic insisted on before the election was about. "Reaching a parliamentary consensus on Kosovo is not an issue, but the subject is not known yet, since we do not know what Serbia's policy towards Kosovo might be at the moment, towards northern Kosovo in particular. Is it a partition mentioned by Ivica Dacic, autonomy as part of the Ahtisaari plan or something else," Simic noted. The policy towards Kosovo will dictate Serbia's options internationally when addressing other, mostly economic, issues, he pointed out. Director of the Foreign Policy Center Aleksandra Joksimovic thinks the next government will first have to define its foreign policy goals and underscore that the EU is a priority of Serbia's foreign policy. "That would give the new government legitimacy with foreign partners, that is with those who expect it to prove its promises before the elections and its pro-European course," Joksimovic told Tanjug. Some of the first actions by the government should include a gesture towards the region, where there is some fear as to whether normal communication will be established with the new government, she added. "The road towards the EU is paved with regional cooperation. It would be very important to ease tension in the relations as soon as the new government is instated," Joksimovic underlined. Simic also believes that relations with the countries of the region should be high among the list of priorities for the next government, adding that it faces a lot of work in the region. According to Joksimovic, former president Boris Tadic did a lot in that field, a connection between Belgrade and Zagreb was established, mostly based on the personal relation between Josipovic and Tadic, and that introduced a new atmosphere and dynamic into the region. "The new president's first days in office were marked by friction in the relations with neighbors. That is why the government will have to invest a lot of effort to restore trust and continue the dialogue from where the previous government left off, both with former Yugoslav republics and old neighbors - Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria, Simic stated. The process must focus on Albania in particular, although the relations with that country largely depend on the solution to the Kosovo issue. The quality of the relations with any neighbor will hinge on the quality of the relations with Brussels, Washington and to a lesser extent Moscow. Tanjug

"EU, Kosovo should remain foreign policy priorities"

Serbia's former Ambassador to France Predrag Simić told Tanjug the government must take a stand on Kosovo very quickly so that it would be clear what the consensus Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic insisted on before the election was about.

"Reaching a parliamentary consensus on Kosovo is not an issue, but the subject is not known yet, since we do not know what Serbia's policy towards Kosovo might be at the moment, towards northern Kosovo in particular. Is it a partition mentioned by Ivica Dačić, autonomy as part of the Ahtisaari plan or something else," Simić noted.

The policy towards Kosovo will dictate Serbia's options internationally when addressing other, mostly economic, issues, he pointed out.

Director of the Foreign Policy Center Aleksandra Joksimović thinks the next government will first have to define its foreign policy goals and underscore that the EU is a priority of Serbia's foreign policy.

"That would give the new government legitimacy with foreign partners, that is with those who expect it to prove its promises before the elections and its pro-European course," Joksimović told Tanjug.

Some of the first actions by the government should include a gesture towards the region, where there is some fear as to whether normal communication will be established with the new government, she added.

"The road towards the EU is paved with regional cooperation. It would be very important to ease tension in the relations as soon as the new government is instated," Joksimović underlined.

Simić also believes that relations with the countries of the region should be high among the list of priorities for the next government, adding that it faces a lot of work in the region.

According to Joksimović, former president Boris Tadić did a lot in that field, a connection between Belgrade and Zagreb was established, mostly based on the personal relation between Josipović and Tadić, and that introduced a new atmosphere and dynamic into the region.

"The new president's first days in office were marked by friction in the relations with neighbors. That is why the government will have to invest a lot of effort to restore trust and continue the dialogue from where the previous government left off, both with former Yugoslav republics and old neighbors - Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria, Simić stated.

The process must focus on Albania in particular, although the relations with that country largely depend on the solution to the Kosovo issue.

The quality of the relations with any neighbor will hinge on the quality of the relations with Brussels, Washington and to a lesser extent Moscow.