Deputy PM: Priština must compromise as well

BELGRADE Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Aleksandar Vucic said on Wednesday he expected Berlin to exert pressure on Pristina. Vucic said this after a meeting with German Foreign Ministry’s Special Envoy for Southeastern Europe Nikolaus Graf Lambsdorff. Deputy PM: Pristina must compromise as well He said that the Serbian government would respect the agreements reached in Brussels but that it expected Berlin’s support in its request that Pristina needed to make compromises as well. Vucic expressed belief that nobody would do anything that would diminish Serbia’s chances of becoming an EU member, adding that he did not expect the EU to raise the question of recognition of Kosovo’s independence. The deputy PM stressed he was aware that many decisions would be hard for Serbia in the talks with Pristina and that Belgrade would agree to compromise but that Pristina needed to do the same. “It is in nobody’s interest to have time go by without changing anything. Serbian citizens and nobody else want that. Everybody wants the dialogue to continue. We will try to reach a national consensus on Kosovo in August or September,” Vucic stressed He noted that the Serbian government would lead a policy that not everybody would like but that it would be in the best interest of the state. The deputy PM said that he and Lambsdorff also discussed bilateral relations and combat against crime and corruption. He added that Serbia wanted to be a part of the European family and to have the best possible relations with Germany as the most powerful EU state. Vucic said that the government would be stern in combat against organized crime and expressed expectation that bilateral cooperation between Serbia and Germany in the area of defense would deepen. Lambsdorff stated that Germany supported the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and that it was hoping for a result that would lead to a long-term cooperation. According to him, there are no new conditions for Serbia’s EU accession aside from the criteria set in December 2011. “There are no new conditions. Serbia, just like all other countries that want to be EU member states, has certain conditions that needs to fulfill and there is nothing new there,” the German official stressed. Lambsdorff will also meet with Foreign Minister Ivan Mrkic, Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Suzana Grubjesic, Marko Djuric, the foreign policy advisor to the Serbian president, and Democratic Party whip Dragoljub Micunovic. Nikolaus Graf Lambsdorff (Tanjug) “No new conditions for Serbia” Serbian Foreign Minister Ivan Mrki’ met Wednesday with Lambsdorff. Mrkic reiterated that the Serbian government was fully committed to the acquisition of full EU membership and stressed that in the period ahead he expected more intensive contacts between Belgrade and Brussels. Lambsdorff said once again that the EU had no new conditions for the admission of Serbia into EU membership, adding that it was necessary for the Serbian government to implement the existing agreements. They also discussed bilateral relations between Serbia and Germany and agreed to maintain frequent contacts at all levels in the upcoming months. “Germany is in favor of EU enlargement” “Germany is strongly in favor of continuing EU integration and enlargement, and it will continue giving its full support to Serbia in implementing the necessary reforms,” Lambsdorff said. He met with Serbia's Deputy Prime Minister for EU Integration Suzana Grubjesic and stressed there were no new requirements for Serbia's EU integration, Grubjesic's office has released. “Germany is monitoring the situation in Serbia closely and if there is progress, it is prepared to provide assistance, and any positive steps will be welcomed by Berlin,” the German official noted. Grubjesic thanked Germany for its support, adding that it was Serbia's most important partner on the road towards the EU and stressing that she believed the new government would take immediate steps to accelerate EU integration. According to her, Serbia will invest additional effort to get the start date for the accession talks as soon as possible, with a clear goal of allowing the people to benefit from EU integration in their everyday life as soon as possible. “The new government is willing to take over all the obligations the previous government agreed to in the talks with Pristina, and all the top officials of the government will take part in the political dialogue to follow,” Grubjesic underscored. She emphasized in particular the significance of reaching a national consensus on Kosovo that should include all the sides of the Serbian political scene. Beta Tanjug

Deputy PM: Priština must compromise as well

He said that the Serbian government would respect the agreements reached in Brussels but that it expected Berlin’s support in its request that Priština needed to make compromises as well.

Vučić expressed belief that nobody would do anything that would diminish Serbia’s chances of becoming an EU member, adding that he did not expect the EU to raise the question of recognition of Kosovo’s independence.

The deputy PM stressed he was aware that many decisions would be hard for Serbia in the talks with Priština and that Belgrade would agree to compromise but that Priština needed to do the same.

“It is in nobody’s interest to have time go by without changing anything. Serbian citizens and nobody else want that. Everybody wants the dialogue to continue. We will try to reach a national consensus on Kosovo in August or September,” Vučić stressed

He noted that the Serbian government would lead a policy that not everybody would like but that it would be in the best interest of the state.

The deputy PM said that he and Lambsdorff also discussed bilateral relations and combat against crime and corruption.

He added that Serbia wanted to be a part of the European family and to have the best possible relations with Germany as the most powerful EU state.

Vučić said that the government would be stern in combat against organized crime and expressed expectation that bilateral cooperation between Serbia and Germany in the area of defense would deepen.

Lambsdorff stated that Germany supported the Belgrade-Priština dialogue and that it was hoping for a result that would lead to a long-term cooperation.

According to him, there are no new conditions for Serbia’s EU accession aside from the criteria set in December 2011.

“There are no new conditions. Serbia, just like all other countries that want to be EU member states, has certain conditions that needs to fulfill and there is nothing new there,” the German official stressed.

Lambsdorff will also meet with Foreign Minister Ivan Mrkić, Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Suzana Grubješić, Marko Đurić, the foreign policy advisor to the Serbian president, and Democratic Party whip Dragoljub Mićunović.

“No new conditions for Serbia”

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivan Mrki’ met Wednesday with Lambsdorff.

Mrkić reiterated that the Serbian government was fully committed to the acquisition of full EU membership and stressed that in the period ahead he expected more intensive contacts between Belgrade and Brussels.

Lambsdorff said once again that the EU had no new conditions for the admission of Serbia into EU membership, adding that it was necessary for the Serbian government to implement the existing agreements.

They also discussed bilateral relations between Serbia and Germany and agreed to maintain frequent contacts at all levels in the upcoming months.

“Germany is in favor of EU enlargement”

“Germany is strongly in favor of continuing EU integration and enlargement, and it will continue giving its full support to Serbia in implementing the necessary reforms,” Lambsdorff said.

He met with Serbia's Deputy Prime Minister for EU Integration Suzana Grubješić and stressed there were no new requirements for Serbia's EU integration, Grubjesic's office has released.

“Germany is monitoring the situation in Serbia closely and if there is progress, it is prepared to provide assistance, and any positive steps will be welcomed by Berlin,” the German official noted.

Grubješić thanked Germany for its support, adding that it was Serbia's most important partner on the road towards the EU and stressing that she believed the new government would take immediate steps to accelerate EU integration.

According to her, Serbia will invest additional effort to get the start date for the accession talks as soon as possible, with a clear goal of allowing the people to benefit from EU integration in their everyday life as soon as possible.

“The new government is willing to take over all the obligations the previous government agreed to in the talks with Priština, and all the top officials of the government will take part in the political dialogue to follow,” Grubješić underscored.

She emphasized in particular the significance of reaching a national consensus on Kosovo that should include all the sides of the Serbian political scene.