Rupel: Some Want Pedagogical, Other Cordial Approach to Serbia
Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel believes the EU has reached a "quite sensitive chapter in relations with Serbia". "There are certain differences within the EU", while some countries advocate a "pedagogical" approach, others favour a more "intimate, cordial" attitude towards Serbia, Rupel said in Brussels on Monday.
On the other hand Rupel also said that EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels agreed that a future within the EU was something that was foreseen for Serbia as well as Kosovo.
The minister highlighted three priorities in defining relations with Serbia. The first is to tackle the issue of Kosovo. This, he says, is solvable through the plan put forward by UN special envoy for Kosovo Martti Ahtisaari, which EU ministers backed. The second priority is to "keep Serbia aboard European prospect", without blemishing relations with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).
The third priority as quoted by Rupel, is to retain the EU's unity and to prevent exaggerated zeal in tackling the Kosovo status from jeopardising relations with Serbia. Rupel said the second and the third priority is something that the member states must agree on themselves.
According to the minister, the group of Hapsburg nations, which apart from Slovenia comprises Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary, wanted to "tone down the decisions" on the restart of talks with Serbia. They were joined by Denmark, Sweden and Italy, while the Netherlands and Belgium in particular wanted to tighten further the proposal by the German presidency.
It is important for Slovenia that the decisions keep the door into the EU open for Serbia and that the country gets a pro-European government as soon as possible, he said.
If such a government adopts "tangible and efficient measures for fulle cooperation" with the ICTY, the EU is ready to continue talks on Serbia's Stabilisation and Association Agreement, Rupel added.
Rupel explained that full cooperation meant the Serbian government "has a comprehensive set of measures" as well as proves that it is serious about its cooperation with the tribunal.
The decisions do not include a provision that would say full cooperation is a condition for continuing with the talks, the minister stressed.
Javier Solana, the EU's foreign policy chief, said that the union sent a clear signal to Serbia, while German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that Serbia was welcome in the EU, but added that some issues are its own responsibility.
Rupel also underscored the need for drafting as soon as possible a report on the first three years of the implementation of the amended Lisbon Strategy. This would allow Slovenia to prepare for the spring summit during its stint as EU president in the first half of 2008.
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