President Boris Tadić: Serbian on right path

Allow me a few words about the report of the European Commission and about the recommendation which will be considered by the EU Council this December. This is an important day for Serbia for two reasons: firstly, the European Commission views the reforms continued in the Serbia in the preceding months since the previous report as exceptionally successful.

I am very proud because we also received a positive assessment of the reforms in complex fields and very sensitive areas, such as the fight against organized crime, the reform of the judiciary, the fight against corruption, elevation of the public administration to a higher level, observance of human rights, and all other areas, especially the economic sphere. People of Serbia should also be proud because of that fact. Of course, just as many other European countries, we are faced with great economic difficulties, but reforms are a precondition that we extricate ourselves from difficulties of an economic nature in the near future. 

Secondly, the recommendation of the European Commission directed at the EU heads of state, that Serbia is awarded candidate status in December, if the dialogue initiated with representatives of Priština is continued, implies exactly what Serbia wanted. We also desire to return to dialogue as soon as possible, at the same time we want to resolve the problem created in the past few months by the unilateral action of ROSU in the Northern Kosovo. 

Also, we want the entire process linked with the existing problems in the Western Balkan area to be rational, to lead to a solution, because ultimately without such an approach it is not possible to continue European reforms. I therefore believe that it is possible that Serbia is awarded candidate status in December and that prospects are created, as stated in the EC recommendation, to begin membership negotiations.

This, of course, does not mean that we have resolved all problems. A lot of work lies ahead of us. A lot of work until December, and also after December. Work on implementing reforms, because getting candidate status creates many prospects, opens up access to EU funds which means an acceleration of the reform process in several areas in particular. On the other hand, getting candidate status is a very important economic signal for potential investors, for Serbia to have an even more certain future in the European Union. Finally, being awarded candidate status is a very important fact for the Serbian society, given that it is simply a fact that confirms that Serbia is on the right path, on the path of European integrations. 

In any case, a lot of work lies ahead of us until the month of December. One should be an optimist, but one should not create euphoria in Serbia today because of this extremely positive report. We should work in the coming period and achieve new results. 

As for returning to the process of dialogue with Priština, it was Serbia that opened the dialogue, together with the European countries, by submitting a resolution in the UN General Assembly more than a year ago. Serbia wants the dialogue to continue; Serbia wants the problems on the administrative crossings to be resolved, because it does not want any unilateral actions be rewarded, actions by any of the sides in this process. At the same time, Serbia wants realistic solutions. 

Approaching the problem of Kosovo in such a manner, I want to stress once again that Serbia has its principles, principles from which it will not depart. It is a question of a policy implying the preservation of territorial integrity, the indivisibility of the territory of Serbia, but I believe that it is possible to find a political solution for the crisis in Kosovo and Metohija, if the other side, if Priština, really has an intention to find a political solution for the problem which has appeared in Kosovo. I believe that the role of the EU is decisive in that process and I believe that European leaders can help find a solution which is acceptable to both sides.