EU fails to approve trade agreement with Serbia

16/09/2008

BELGRADE, Serbia -- Most EU members support the unblocking of Serbia's Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) in the area related to trade, but EU foreign ministers failed to approve it at a meeting Monday (September 15th). French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency, made the announcement after his EU counterparts discussed Serbia's prospects since apprehending war crimes fugitive Radovan Karadzic. The Netherlands vetoed the trade agreement, saying it must await the arrest of war crimes fugitive Ratko Mladic. Belgium agreed.

After the meeting, Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic described the Netherlands' position as a slowdown -- not a failure -- in Belgrade's progress towards EU accession. (Dnevnik, Politika, Danas -16/09/08; Tanjug, B92, RTS, AFP, RTRS, SRNA - 15/09/08)