Brussels, 20/03/2006 (Agence Europe) - In its conclusions on the Western Balkans, adopted on Monday, the External Relations Council indicated that it would continue to support countries in the region in their journeys towards the European Union. In this context, it is encouraging these countries to continue their regional cooperation, notably through the setting up of a regional free-trade zone, which will be discussed during the high level meeting on 6 April in Bucharest. The Council is also expecting European Commission proposals on fostering people to people contacts, including visa facilitation.
The Council welcomes the 18 March political agreement between the main communities of Bosnia-Herzegovina on constitutional reform and to make the state institutions “more functional and better able to meet European standards”. The Council urged the Bosnian government to ensure that the “necessary legislative steps are taken in time for the agreement to take effect for the October 2006 elections”. Highlighting the progress achieved during negotiations for a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU, the Council did, however, point out that the conclusion would “depend in particular on Bosnia and Herzegovina's progress in developing its legislative framework and administrative capacity, in implementing police reform in compliance with the Agreement on Police Restructuring of October 2005, in adopting and implementing all necessary Public Broadcasting legislation, and in achieving full cooperation with the ICTY”
Recalling its conclusions of 27 February (BULLETIN 9150) the Council is also calling for Serbia-Montenegro's total cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) leading to the arrest of all suspects including Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic, in order to prevent interruptions to the SAA negotiations. Following the death of former Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic, the Council expressed its total support for the Serbian people “in their quest to come to terms with the legacy of the Milosevic regime”.