Brussels, 29/09/2003 (Agence Europe) - The General Affairs and External Relations Council on Monday adopted its conclusions on the Balkans, mainly on Serbia and Montenegro. In its conclusions, the Council reaffirmed its support for the efforts of the United Nations representative for Kosovo, Hari Holkeri, to bring in the policy of "standards before the statute" established by the United Nations for Kosovo. The Council also welcomed Mr Holkeri's intention to start negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina on their "issues of mutual interest" before mid-November in Vienna. To this end, the Council called upon "all parties concerned to co-operate" and to fulfil the commitments they took at the European Council of Thessaloniki. The Council also called upon Serbia and Montenegro to implement their recent action plan on the internal market and trade quickly and fully, in order to contribute to a "positive conclusion of the feasibility study" launched by the European Commission after the adoption of the action plan, with a view to opening negotiations to conclude an association and stability agreement between Serbia and Montenegro and the EU.
The Council also stressed the need for the Balkan countries to co-operate with the Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, (especially in terms of bringing Karadic, Mladic and Gotovina before it), and awaits the Tribunal's annual report, which is soon to be presented to the United Nations Security Council. The Council also stated the importance of the smooth running of October's elections in Albania. It welcomed the mutual apologies exchanged between the presidents of Serbia and Montenegro and Croatia on 11 September for the "faults committed in the past", under regional co-operation, and the setting up of political dialogue between the EU and Bosnia-Herzegovina on the one hand, and the EU and Serbia and Montenegro on the other, as planned by the European Council of Thessaloniki.