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EU 'to sign Serbia deal' on ties Serbia and EU sign pact on ties
(about 5 hours later)
The EU will sign a pact on closer ties with Serbia on Tuesday, according to the Slovenian EU presidency. The European Union has signed an agreement with Serbia that will pave the way for membership of the bloc.
The Serbian president is expected to fly to Luxembourg to sign the accord, after objections from Belgium and the Netherlands were overcome. Serbian President Boris Tadic attended the ceremony which was carried live by most TV stations in Serbia.
Both countries insisted that Belgrade must fully co-operate with the Hague war crimes tribunal before Serbia enjoys the benefits of a pact. The accord went ahead after objections from Belgium and the Netherlands were overcome over Belgrade's failure to hand over war crimes suspects.
But they add Serbia should be sent a positive message before May elections. After the signing Mr Tadic said Serbia "would like to become an official candidate by the end of the year".
If anything is signed today, it will have to mean that Serbia will not enjoy any of the benefits of the [deal] Dutch foreign ministry spokesman Under a compromise agreed by ministers from the EU's 27 member states, the pact known as a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) will not be ratified nor its benefits become available to Serbia until it fully co-operates with the war crimes tribunal in The Hague. I'd like to say something to the younger generation of Serbians: here is your house, here is your place Javier SolanaEU foreign policy chief
The SAA not only places Belgrade firmly on the path to candidacy but, when ratified, will grant Serbs closer trade relations and more relaxed visa requirements.
EU ministers were keen to send Serbia a positive message before May elections.
Nationalist parties are ahead in the opinion polls, following Kosovo's declaration of independence and its recognition by a majority of EU member states.Nationalist parties are ahead in the opinion polls, following Kosovo's declaration of independence and its recognition by a majority of EU member states.
Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic who was in Luxembourg told reporters that it was a "historic day for Serbia and the EU". EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana described the signing as a "very important day" for Serbia and Europe.
"We believe we are irreversibly on the road to EU membership," he said. "I'd like to say something to the younger generation of Serbians: here is your house, here is your place," he said.
Signing the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) would not only pave the way to full membership but give Serbs closer trade relations and more relaxed visa requirements. DUTCH-BELGIAN COMPROMISE Gesture to Serbs that their future lies in EuropeSigning of deal acceptable if followed by immediate suspensionNo advantages for Serbia until full co-operation with Hague Tribunal DUTCH-BELGIAN COMPROMISE Gesture to Serbs that their future lies in EuropeSigning of deal acceptable if followed by immediate suspensionNo advantages for Serbia until full co-operation with Hague Tribunal
But the Netherlands and Belgium objected to Serbia being rewarded with a deal before it was considered to have fully co-operated with the war-crimes tribunal. But the Netherlands and Belgium insist that, before the SAA is ratified, Serbia should hand over two war crimes suspects wanted in connection with the massacre of 8,000 Muslim men and boys at Srebrenica: Bosnian Serb ex-army leader Ratko Mladic and war-time political leader Radovan Karadzic.
They insist that Serbia should hand over two war crimes suspects wanted in connection with the massacre of 8,000 Muslim men and boys at Srebrenica: Bosnian Serb ex-army leader Ratko Mladic and war-time political leader Radovan Karadzic. War crimes prosecutor for the former Yugoslavia, Serge Brammertz, praised the EU stance.
A spokesman for Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen told the BBC News website on Tuesday that the signing of an SAA and an interim accord to implement the details of it could take place but only if the agreements were "simultaneously suspended". In a statement, Mr Brammertz said he appreciated the EU's decision to make the terms of the SAA conditional on full co-operation from Belgrade.
"If anything is signed today, it will have to mean that Serbia will not enjoy any of the benefits of the SAA," the spokesman said. "The OTP (Office of the Prosecutor) continues to rely on the crucial support of the international community to finally bring the remaining fugitives to justice," the statement said.
But he added that would change as soon as the foreign ministers were happy that Belgrade was co-operating fully with the tribunal.