Serbia's date is unconditional, says Slovak FM

BELGRADE Serbia has "reasons to rejoice" after the Council of the EU Ministers adopted "a historic decision," Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak believes. On Tuesday, the EU foreign ministers recommended to the European Council to approve on Friday the beginning of the EU accession talks with Serbia in January next year at the latest, but the final decision will be made by the heads of state and government on Friday. Serbia's date is unconditional, says Slovak FM In an interview for the Belgrade-based daily Blic, Lajcak said that Serbia is now invited to enter the final phase of the EU accession process, and that this is an irreversible process. "Now it is only a matter of speed since the membership is at the end of the process. It is very important that it has been said that the talks should start in January at the latest, and that there are no additional conditions," he underlined. "The atmosphere at the ministerial meeting in Luxembourg was very positive although the discussion about Serbia was lengthy," Lajcak said. "Sincerely, there was no disagreement about the essence since all ministers shared the same stance that the Serbian government has done something that was impossible a year ago and that now the EU is on the move as it should react adequately, award Serbia and respect the decisions that it has made," he said, adding that "the only question was how to harmonize this with the procedures of the German Bundestag." "There was more discussion about the Stabilization and Association Agreement with Kosovo," Lajcak said. When asked whether Germany will set a new condition in December, Lajcak "categorically answered that this is absolutely not the case, since the documents do not stipulate that the agreement should be implemented by the end of the year." Lajcak underlined that the decision "does not depend on the European Council since on Friday the heads of state and government can only underlined some part of the decision which has already been made in Luxembourg." "We have also discussed this and concluded that a new decision would mean that the Council of Ministers has not decided anything or accomplished anything. We agreed that there will be no new decision at the European Council," he said. Asked whether he expects that the European Council will open the talks with Serbia without conditions in January 2014 at the latest, Lajcak answered that he "absolutely does," adding that he "does not expect any changes in terms of deadlines, and that it is questionable whether the European Council will again ask to confirm our decision, or it will leave full responsibility to us that is the Council of Ministers." Blic Tanjug

Serbia's date is unconditional, says Slovak FM

In an interview for the Belgrade-based daily Blic, Lajčak said that Serbia is now invited to enter the final phase of the EU accession process, and that this is an irreversible process.

"Now it is only a matter of speed since the membership is at the end of the process. It is very important that it has been said that the talks should start in January at the latest, and that there are no additional conditions," he underlined.

"The atmosphere at the ministerial meeting in Luxembourg was very positive although the discussion about Serbia was lengthy," Lajčak said.

"Sincerely, there was no disagreement about the essence since all ministers shared the same stance that the Serbian government has done something that was impossible a year ago and that now the EU is on the move as it should react adequately, award Serbia and respect the decisions that it has made," he said, adding that "the only question was how to harmonize this with the procedures of the German Bundestag."

"There was more discussion about the Stabilization and Association Agreement with Kosovo," Lajčak said.

When asked whether Germany will set a new condition in December, Lajčak "categorically answered that this is absolutely not the case, since the documents do not stipulate that the agreement should be implemented by the end of the year."

Lajčak underlined that the decision "does not depend on the European Council since on Friday the heads of state and government can only underlined some part of the decision which has already been made in Luxembourg."

"We have also discussed this and concluded that a new decision would mean that the Council of Ministers has not decided anything or accomplished anything. We agreed that there will be no new decision at the European Council," he said.

Asked whether he expects that the European Council will open the talks with Serbia without conditions in January 2014 at the latest, Lajčak answered that he "absolutely does," adding that he "does not expect any changes in terms of deadlines, and that it is questionable whether the European Council will again ask to confirm our decision, or it will leave full responsibility to us that is the Council of Ministers."