EU Signs Pre-Membership Deal with Serbia

Luxembourg _ The European Union has signed a key pre-membership deal with Serbia.

The signing of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, SAA, widely seen as the first step to full membership of the bloc, took place in Luxembourg at a meeting of EU foreign ministers.

"Today is great day for EU and Serbia. For the Slovenian presidency, this is a very important event because Slovenia set further integrations of western Balkans countries into EU as a priority of the presidency," Slovenia's Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel said

"From the heart of EU we are sending strong signal to Serbia and to Serbian people," he added.

The EU's foreign chief Javier Solana said the EU will not be complete without the countries of the Western Balkans saying that "Serbia will be fundamental and key country. Today we start a journey towards that end. Serbia is great country with history and culture and intellectual potential."

EU`s enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn said the signature "sends a powerful signal to the people about EU perspective. It is milestone that marks a new stage of our relations and is a gateway to eventual candidacy."

Serbia's Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic signed the agreement with the EU. "I am convinced that Serbia is able and has the capability to become a candidate country before the end of this year," Djelic said.

Serbian President Boris Tadic also attended the ceremony . He said the SAA agreement was crucial for the full integration of the Western Balkans into the EU. "Without such integration there can't be full reconciliation between the people in the Balkans," Tadic said.

It was initially unclear whether ministers will be able to sign the deal with Belgrade or instead offer a ‘watered down’ deal merely regarding trade relations or allowing Serbian citizens to enter EU member states more easily.

Serbia is facing crucial parliamentary elections on May 11 that will pit pro-European against nationalist parties particularly over how to proceed with relations with the EU since most members have recognised the independence of its former southern province, Kosovo. Brussels wants to offer Belgrade a key deal in an effort to boost the pro-European forces.

The Dutch and Belgian Governments were seen as the key opponents to signing the SAA deal with Serbia, insisting Belgrade must fully cooperate with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, ICTY, at the Hague.

They claim Serbia is not doing enough to apprehend key Serb war crimes fugitives from the 1990s Balkan Wars, including the wartime Bosnian Serb political leader, Radovan Karadzic and his military commander, Ratko Mladic, both of whom have been indicted for genocide.

According to a compromise, they have agreed that Serbia will not see the rewards of the SAA deal, such as funds, until it is deemed to be fully cooperating with the Hague Tribunal.