Jeremić: Serbia ready to sign SAA

Serbia is ready to sign the EU deal, and hopes for the abolishment of the visa regime as soon as possible, says Vuk Jeremic. The foreign minister said that at the EU ministers meeting in the Slovenian resort of Brdo pri Kranju, he had presented Belgrade’s absolute readiness to continue EU integration, and expressed his confidence that the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) would be signed soon. Jeremic: Serbia ready to sign SAA "The main subject of my talk were the European prospects of Serbia and the entire western Balkans. The EU is ready to do everything in its power to open its doors to Serbia, in spite of the difficult circumstances," Jeremic said in a statement for Tanjug after talks with his European counterparts. "I presented Belgrade's absolute readiness to continue advancing towards the EU. The next step along that route is signing the SAA, and I believe this will happen in the very near future. Serbia must choose, Serbian citizens must make the decision whether the country's European integration will continue," he explained. “The democratic will of the Serbian citizens is of strategic importance when the issue of continued European integration is concerned,” Jeremic said he had told his counterparts at the meeting. “During the meeting, consensus was reached that the continued European integration of the western Balkans was the only way to secure long-term peace and stability in the Balkans, and attain the same level of prosperity as the EU,” he said. During the meeting, differences in opinions were expressed on the question of Kosovo’s status and its unilaterally declared independence, Jeremic said, underlining that "there are also deep differences within the Union itself." "There are countries which have decided to recognize this illegal act, and there are countries that are opposed to it. I reiterated our stand and underlined that it would not change, regardless of the election result. Serbia's policy will remain the same," the minister was adamant. In talks with the European ministers, he stressed that Serbia was ready to cooperate with the United Nations (UN) Mission in Kosovo in the manner envisaged by UN Security Council Resolution 1244, but that it did not accept the EU mission which had no legal foundation. The informal ministers' meeting ended with a statement from the Slovenian Presidency and a press conference, where it was said that it was in the EU's common interest that the western Balkan states continued political and economic reform, recognized and protected ethnic minoritities, and moved closer to the EU. The EU's main aim is cooperation in the fields of energy, transport and civil defense. In the spotlight of today's debate on the western Balkans was Serbia and the EU member states' wish to help the democratic forces continue the road to EU integration. "European states, EU member representatives, are almost unanimous, with only the smallest exceptions, in their opinion that it is now necessary, right at this moment, to take one more step forward, and we'll speak of this additional step for a European Serbia, for the benefit of a European Serbia, in the coming days," Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel told the press conference, stating that the main theme of today's debate was how to help the European forces in Serbia, precisely because the EU was aware of the huge significance of Serbia, and its role in stabilizing the Balkans. Today, it was also repeated that technical talks on the SAA were completed last year, so that all that remained was for every EU state to decide whether Serbia had met the conditions for signing the agreement, and for Serbia to confirm its dedication to the European path and EU integration. Vuk Jeremic (FoNet)

Jeremić: Serbia ready to sign SAA

"The main subject of my talk were the European prospects of Serbia and the entire western Balkans. The EU is ready to do everything in its power to open its doors to Serbia, in spite of the difficult circumstances," Jeremić said in a statement for Tanjug after talks with his European counterparts.

"I presented Belgrade's absolute readiness to continue advancing towards the EU. The next step along that route is signing the SAA, and I believe this will happen in the very near future. Serbia must choose, Serbian citizens must make the decision whether the country's European integration will continue," he explained.

“The democratic will of the Serbian citizens is of strategic importance when the issue of continued European integration is concerned,” Jeremić said he had told his counterparts at the meeting.

“During the meeting, consensus was reached that the continued European integration of the western Balkans was the only way to secure long-term peace and stability in the Balkans, and attain the same level of prosperity as the EU,” he said.

During the meeting, differences in opinions were expressed on the question of Kosovo’s status and its unilaterally declared independence, Jeremić said, underlining that "there are also deep differences within the Union itself."

"There are countries which have decided to recognize this illegal act, and there are countries that are opposed to it. I reiterated our stand and underlined that it would not change, regardless of the election result. Serbia's policy will remain the same," the minister was adamant.

In talks with the European ministers, he stressed that Serbia was ready to cooperate with the United Nations (UN) Mission in Kosovo in the manner envisaged by UN Security Council Resolution 1244, but that it did not accept the EU mission which had no legal foundation.

The informal ministers' meeting ended with a statement from the Slovenian Presidency and a press conference, where it was said that it was in the EU's common interest that the western Balkan states continued political and economic reform, recognized and protected ethnic minoritities, and moved closer to the EU.

The EU's main aim is cooperation in the fields of energy, transport and civil defense.

In the spotlight of today's debate on the western Balkans was Serbia and the EU member states' wish to help the democratic forces continue the road to EU integration.

"European states, EU member representatives, are almost unanimous, with only the smallest exceptions, in their opinion that it is now necessary, right at this moment, to take one more step forward, and we'll speak of this additional step for a European Serbia, for the benefit of a European Serbia, in the coming days," Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel told the press conference, stating that the main theme of today's debate was how to help the European forces in Serbia, precisely because the EU was aware of the huge significance of Serbia, and its role in stabilizing the Balkans.

Today, it was also repeated that technical talks on the SAA were completed last year, so that all that remained was for every EU state to decide whether Serbia had met the conditions for signing the agreement, and for Serbia to confirm its dedication to the European path and EU integration.