Serbia's Tadic to push for fast EU membership

03/09/2008

BELGRADE, Serbia -- A delegation headed by President Boris Tadic travels to Brussels on Wednesday (September 3rd) for talks on Serbia's accession to the EU. Tadic, accompanied by Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic, Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic and Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic, says he will look for ways to accelerate the process.

"It is essential to make use of the benefits of what we have achieved so far with all electoral processes in Serbia and the formation of the new government, thus creating a roadmap for the country to become a member of the EU as soon as possible," Tadic said Tuesday. He added that it is important for Serbia to ratify its Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU quickly to receive candidate status, which provides access to EU development funds. The arrest of UN war crimes indictee Radovan Karadzic in July and his extradition to The Hague tribunal is one of the best indications of Belgrade's progress, Tadic said. (B92, FoNet, Tanjug, AFP - 02/09/08)