“Serbia should be given candidate status”

Source: Tanjug, Večernje novosti

BELGRADE -- Swedish FM Carl Bildt believes Serbia should be granted the EU candidate status in line with recommendations of the European Commission's enlargement package.

Carl Bildt

He said that a new kind of dialogue was needed between the EU and Priština which would address many issues, from the rule of law to the situation in northern Kosovo, and stressed that it was essential to maintain the current focus on dialogue between Belgrade and Priština.
“A number of different ideas are on the table, but at the moment it is crucial to maintain focus on the current dialogue between Belgrade and Priština,” the Swedish minister stressed.

“Based on this dialogue, conclusions on the enlargement process are to be taken on Monday, before the EU summit to be held on Friday, December 9,” Bildt told daily Večernje novosti.

He advocates a kind of contractual relationship between the EU and Kosovo, in order to have an intense dialogue with Priština on many issues, including the question of the rule of law.

Bildt said that the current dialogue between Belgrade and Priština was crucial and that good vibrations were coming from these meetings.

“Everyone is concerned about the situation in Kosovo. The recent statement by the Serbian President Boris Tadić is seen as a constructive contribution to the attempts to resolve a serious and grave crisis,” he was quoted as saying.

Bildt believes that the dialogue should not be carried out with any tough stance by any party.

“However, everyone probably agrees that the situation in northern Kosovo is unsustainable. It needs to be improved, if for no other reason, at least for the people who live there,” he explained.

“No one wants to have some kind of another frozen conflict in the middle of Europe,” the Swedish foreign minister concluded.