Ex-president claims that "people knew all EU conditions"

BELGRADE Boris Tadic has said that establishing "good-neighborly relations" with Kosovo was never posed before him as a condition of Serbia's EU accession. In an interview for Belgrade-based daily Politika on Monday, the leader of the opposition DS party and Serbia's former president once again claimed the public had been aware of all the conditions the former government had been given by the EU. Ex-president claims that "people knew all EU conditions" He explained that the establishment of good-neighborly relations with Kosovo "was always a requirement for full-fledged EU membership, but not for the start of accession talks." Obviously the condition is now being tied to the date for the talks for several reasons, the top one being that "the parties in the new government have given signals they could be more flexible regarding the Kosovo issue," said Tadic. On the other hand, the new condition did not come from all countries, but from the Christian Democratic Union parliamentary group ahead of the coming elections in Germany. The statements of President Tomislav Nikolic and Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Suzana Grubjesic that Serbia should not rush headlong into accession talks can be interpreted as an attempt to relieve some of the pressure on Serbia over the new conditions, believes Tadic. He noted that "this position will undoubtedly stall European integration," adding that "the citizens could pay an extremely high price, even a financial one." The countries which have a problem with EU enlargement due to upcoming national elections see these statements as cause to postpone the start of Serbia's accession talks indefinitely, he said. If the start of talks is postponed, then in two or three years, the talks will be extended and the eventual consequences cannot be foreseen, concluded the former president. Boris Tadic (Tanjug, file) Politika Tanjug

Ex-president claims that "people knew all EU conditions"

He explained that the establishment of good-neighborly relations with Kosovo "was always a requirement for full-fledged EU membership, but not for the start of accession talks."

Obviously the condition is now being tied to the date for the talks for several reasons, the top one being that "the parties in the new government have given signals they could be more flexible regarding the Kosovo issue," said Tadić.

On the other hand, the new condition did not come from all countries, but from the Christian Democratic Union parliamentary group ahead of the coming elections in Germany.

The statements of President Tomislav Nikolić and Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Suzana Grubješić that Serbia should not rush headlong into accession talks can be interpreted as an attempt to relieve some of the pressure on Serbia over the new conditions, believes Tadić.

He noted that "this position will undoubtedly stall European integration," adding that "the citizens could pay an extremely high price, even a financial one."

The countries which have a problem with EU enlargement due to upcoming national elections see these statements as cause to postpone the start of Serbia's accession talks indefinitely, he said.

If the start of talks is postponed, then in two or three years, the talks will be extended and the eventual consequences cannot be foreseen, concluded the former president.