Brussels, 26/06/2013 (Agence Europe) - At the European Council on 28 June, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton called on the EU member states to keep their word on opening accession negotiations with Serbia - as the Foreign Affairs Council recommended on 25 June (see EUROPE 10874). “Serbia has kept its commitments and the EU must also keep its commitments”, Ashton said at the end of a meeting with Serbia's Prime Minister Ivica Dacic.
Dacic hoped that a “historic” decision would be taken by the heads of state and government. “It is important that this decision [of having a date for the opening of the negotiations] be unconditional - in other words that there be no new conditions, new sessions of committees or Councils, ahead of confirming the decision adopted. I have no doubt that this is the view in which it was adopted”, he said.
Dacic stated that Belgrade was going to continue its dialogue with Pristina, but that Belgrade was also going to have to deal with new discussions - the accession discussions with the member states. He hoped that the negotiations might begin “as quickly as possible” and hoped that Serbia would be a member of the EU “in four or five years' time”. “I will do everything possible for the negotiations not to be too long” and it is important “not to lose time any more”, he added at his meeting with President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso (our translation throughout). Dacic reiterated that in October 2012, the first meeting between the Serbian and Kosovan prime ministers was virtually secret but that there is now an agreement between Belgrade and Pristina.
Hailing all the progress already achieved, Barroso stated that Serbia should continue to normalise its relations with Kosovo and to make progress on the rule of law. (CG/transl.fl)