For Belgrade, road to Brussels runs through Strasbourg

[Marulus]

For Belgrade, road to Brussels runs through Strasbourg

External relations - 23-10-2007


Past and present reflected in Belgrade architectur

Serbia's relations with the European Union will be debated by MEPs on Wednesday when MEPs consider a report on the issue. The Union has once again resumed negotiations with Belgrade on a Stabilisation and Association Agreement aimed at improving trade and political links. However, the question of Serbia's cooperation with the International Criminal Court for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) remains a key issue. MEPs will also vote on a visa agreement on Wednesday.


Since the break up of Yugoslavia in the early 1990's Serbia has been embroiled in various armed conflicts with its neighbours. In 1999 it was bombarded by NATO in an effort to reverse its policy in Kosovo. Dislocation through armed conflict and UN sanctions has had a devastating impact on the Serb economy and led to isolation. Unemployment is around 20% and 70% of University students have never been abroad.

Association Agreement - a step towards the EU?

However, resumed negotiations on the SAA could be an important step on the road to Serbia achieving "candidate country" status for eventual membership of the EU. There certainly seems to be public support for such a step. Speaking recently to the European Parliament's website, Oliver Dulić - President of the Serbian Parliament - said that "latest polls show nearly 70% support for the EU integration process".

Prior to the debate, the drafter of the report, Slovenian MEP Jelko Kacin (ALDE), spoke about the importance of Serbia cooperating with the International Criminal Court for Former Yugoslavia and its Chief Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte. Referring to the failure to arrest outstanding war criminals Mr Kacin warned that "until this changes and Serbia remains in violation of the Genocide Convention. With mass murderers able to roam freely in Serbia, the EU cannot even consider signing the SAA Agreement, still less granting Serbia the status of candidate country".

Shadow of Mladić looms large

Interviewed by the Parliament's website in June, Carla Del Ponte appealed for the EU to keep the connection between progress on war criminals (notably Ratko Mladić and Radovan Karadžić), and progress on the Stabilisation agreement. She was optimistic the new Serb government would cooperate with the ICTY: "we are in a good direction to certify full cooperation - but I need my four fugitives..!"

In a report last week by Ms Del Ponte said that Serb cooperation was "better than a year ago...but not yet sufficient". Mr Kacin said that in this light the Del Ponte report was "not entirely negative". Vladimir Vukčević (Serbian War Crimes Prosecutor) said recently in a meeting with Kacin that "as a citizen of Serbia, I do not want my children or grandchildren to spend their lives in the shadow of Ratko Mladić and his associates".

As well as war criminals the final status of Kosovo is one that has still to be decided with Serbia determined to keep it as a part of the country and forestall independence. This stance could put it at odds with the international community which may support such a move.

Visa accord to facilitate contact

The Kacin report will be debated on Wednesday and voted on Thursday. Also put to the vote on Wednesday is an agreement by the EC and Serbia on short stay visas designed to facilitate travel and contact between EU and Serb citizens. Speaking prior to the vote Mr Kacin said it would act as a "counter balance to nationalistic and xenophobic elements in Serbian society".

Explaining the difficulty of the Serbian position Oliver Dulić told us that "we have a powerful and dangerous mixture of national frustrations, open status questions and a very tough economic situation".

[source]

[Crvena zvezda]

Block Serbia's entry into the EU. Nothing would please me more.