“Bundestag divided on Serbia’s EU talks date”

BELGRADE The German government expects Serbia to implement the Brussels agreement, opposition Social Democratic Party MP Dietmar Nietan has said. He told daily Blic that Germany was very interested in further improvement of relations between Serbia and Kosovo but noted that the German ruling coalition did not have a united stance on the Kosovo issue. “Bundestag divided on Serbia’s EU talks date” “After (German Foreign) Minister Guido Westerwelle’s visit and report of Minister of State Michael Link in Bundestag’s EU Committee, I am under the impression that two parties that make the German government do not have a united stance. It seems that the liberal FDP party, whose members are Minister Westerwelle and Minister of State Link, is ready to support giving Serbia a date once a plan for the implementation of the agreement is made. The question is, however, will the bigger coalition partner be ready to do the same. German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s CDU/CSU party is slowing the process down and it seems that it is not interested in giving Serbia a date for the start of the EU accession negotiations as soon as possible,” Nietan was quoted as saying. He added that it was “not very useful” that CDU/CSU official Andreas Schockenhoff had visited Belgrade and presented a list of requests. “Mr. Schockenhoff is not the one who sets conditions for the beginning of the accession negotiations. Those conditions are determined by the European Commission,” Nietan stressed. “As far as the agreement with Kosovo is concerned, I think it will be hard to implement it by June. It is important to reach a deal on the announced implementation plan as soon as possible because both sides would then additionally show their good will. The sooner the beginning of the accession negotiations is enabled the better, because the negotiations are the most efficient initiator of reforms,” he added. Nietan explained that the German government first had to ask for Bundestag’s consent regarding the beginning of Serbia’s EU accession talks. “The request has not been sent to Bundestag so far. I believe that the accession negotiations with the EU would encourage progress of the necessary process of normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo,” he concluded. (Tanjug, file) Blic

“Bundestag divided on Serbia’s EU talks date”

“After (German Foreign) Minister Guido Westerwelle’s visit and report of Minister of State Michael Link in Bundestag’s EU Committee, I am under the impression that two parties that make the German government do not have a united stance. It seems that the liberal FDP party, whose members are Minister Westerwelle and Minister of State Link, is ready to support giving Serbia a date once a plan for the implementation of the agreement is made. The question is, however, will the bigger coalition partner be ready to do the same. German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s CDU/CSU party is slowing the process down and it seems that it is not interested in giving Serbia a date for the start of the EU accession negotiations as soon as possible,” Nietan was quoted as saying.

He added that it was “not very useful” that CDU/CSU official Andreas Schockenhoff had visited Belgrade and presented a list of requests.

“Mr. Schockenhoff is not the one who sets conditions for the beginning of the accession negotiations. Those conditions are determined by the European Commission,” Nietan stressed.

“As far as the agreement with Kosovo is concerned, I think it will be hard to implement it by June. It is important to reach a deal on the announced implementation plan as soon as possible because both sides would then additionally show their good will. The sooner the beginning of the accession negotiations is enabled the better, because the negotiations are the most efficient initiator of reforms,” he added.

Nietan explained that the German government first had to ask for Bundestag’s consent regarding the beginning of Serbia’s EU accession talks.

“The request has not been sent to Bundestag so far. I believe that the accession negotiations with the EU would encourage progress of the necessary process of normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo,” he concluded.