EU Wants Progress in Kosovo Talks for Serbian 2011 Candidacy
The European Union wants Serbia show evidence it is making progress in regional cooperation, including with the breakaway province of Kosovo, to boost the chance of becoming an entry candidate by year’s end.
“Regional cooperation is essential,” said Catherine Ashton, the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, in a statement before meeting Serbian officials in Belgrade today.
Serbia wants to follow former Yugoslav republics Slovenia and Croatia into the Brussels-based bloc by battling corruption, boosting its economy and trade with the EU, recognizing the independence of Kosovo and catching war crimes suspects. Slovenia joined in EU in 2004 and Croatia may become a member in 2013.
Today, police authorities in Belgrade reported that they arrested a man suspected to be Ratko Mladic, wanted by the U.N. war crimes court in The Hague. President Boris Tadic will hold a press conference today in Belgrade at 1 p.m. Authorities are using DNA testing to verify the arrestee’s identity, according to B92’s website.
Ashton, who will also hold a briefing today, said in the statement that talks between Belgrade and Kosovo are “fundamental for removing obstacles on the road towards the EU.”
“We stand ready to help both Serbia and Kosovo to move forward,” she said.
Kosovo, a nation of 2 million, mostly ethnic-Albanians, declared independence from Serbia in February 2008, a move Serbia has vowed never to accept. Most Western powers have recognized Kosovo as a state, including 22 of 27 EU members and the U.S.
Serbia and Kosovo launched a series of talks under the EU auspices in March, trying to resolve non-political issues such as customs procedures, communications and land registries.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso last week told Serbia that time was running out and it had to do more by the end of June to convince the EU it is ready to become a candidate.
To contact the reporter on this story: Gordana Filipovic in Belgrade at gfilipovic@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: James M. Gomez at jagomez@bloomberg.net
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