BRUSSELS (AFP) — Serbia could become an EU candidate nation next year but must first meet conditions including full cooperation with an international war crimes court, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said Wednesday.
"It will be possible to have candidate status next year" if the conditions are fulfilled, Barroso told reporters in a new briefing with Serbian President Boris Tadic.
However, he added that "this is not a commitment. It depends on Serbia," which still needs to fully cooperate with The Hague-based International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and accelerate domestic reforms.
Barroso hailed the recent arrest of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, which he described as an "historic moment and a milestone for Serbia's European aspirations."
"I encourage this new government of Serbia to continue its efforts in order to clear the hurdles from the European Union road completely. It is important to ensure full cooperation with the ICTY," he added.
"We have some hard work to do," he added.
Tadic stressed that Serbia was not prepared to recognise independence for its breakaway region of Kosovo, something which most EU nations have already done.
"The future status of Kosovo and European integration of Serbia are two separate processes," he told reporters.
"Serbia is not going to recognise so called new countries... we are defending our territorial sovereignty and integrity."
Tadic headed the highest-ranking Serbian delegation to go to Brussels in recent years and the first such trip there since a new West-leaning government came to power in Belgrade on July 7.
One of the first acts of the new Serb government was to order the arrest of Karadzic, who was captured in the Serbian capital Belgrade in late July, 13 years after he was indicted for war crimes.
That was followed by a decision to reinstate Belgrade's ambassadors withdrawn from European capitals that have recognised the independence of Kosovo.
ICTY's new prosecutor Serge Brammertz is due to visit Belgrade next week.
The Serbian government hopes to get European Union candidacy by early next year and to win full membership by 2014.
So far, it has only signed the EU's Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA), seen as a first step on the long road to membership.
Serbian deputies opened a debate in Belgrade Wednesday on ratifying the SAA after a six-week parliamentary break, and sessions marred by opposition obstruction.
The debate was announced in July, but the nationalist opposition led by the hardline Serbian Radical Party and the Democratic Party of Serbia of former prime minister Vojislav Kostunica forced an extended summer recess.
While praising the capture and handing over of Karadzic, ICTY and the EU also want to see Bosnian Serb war crimes fugitive Ratko Mladic brought to justice.
A Bosnian daily reported last month that Mladic was in talks with Serbia's secret services about his surrender.
Like Karadzic, Mladic stands accused of genocide and crimes against humanity for atrocities including the Srebrenica massacre of 8,000 Muslim men and boys during Bosnia's 1992-1995 war.
"To be totally honest, we're doing everything possible to find Mladic and I promise that we're going to continue our cooperation with the tribunal," said Tadic.
Barroso said the progress the new Serbian government had made "should be reflected" by the 27 EU member states by implementing the trade-related part of a the SAA agreement signed in Belgrade in April.
The Serbian opposition has argued against the ratification of the SAA treaty, claiming it would constitute indirect recognition of Kosovo's independence.
It was not clear when the vote in Belgrade would be held, as the debate could drag on for several days.
Copyright © 2010 AFP. All rights reserved. More »
