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Sat, Feb 11 2012
Recognising Kosovo not a precondition for EU membership, Sarkozy tells Tadic
AT THE ELYSEE: France's president Nicolas Sarkozy, left, welcomes Serbian president Boris Tadic at the Elysee Palace in Paris, May 27 2009.
COMPATRIOTS: Serbian president Boris Tadic, centre, poses with Serbian tennis players Jelena Jankovic, right, and Novak Djokovic, second left, at the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, May 27 2009. The woman at left is Jelena’s mother, Snezana Jankovic.
Visiting his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris, Serbian president Boris Tadic said that his country would not accept having to recognise Kosovo as independent in order to join the European Union.
Serbia vehemently rejects Kosovo’s February 2008 unilateral declaration of independence, which it is challenging in the World Court. France was among the first countries to recognise Kosovo.
Serbian news agency Beta, quoting a statement made by Tadic to Serbian state television on May 27 2009, reported him as saying: "The French president told me that no one expects Serbia or will make any implicit or explicit recognition of Kosovo a condition for Serbia on its path of European integration. I think that it is very important and a great political feat".
Kosovo and Serbia’s EU accession process were two separate issues, Tadic said.
Ahead of his visit to Paris, Tadic said in an interview with French daily Le Figaro that Serbia would "never recognise" Kosovo as independent. He told Le Figaro that he hoped that France and Serbia could achieve a strategic partnership like that "of the golden era before World War 1".
Sarkozy told Tadic to work with Kosovo, a message similar to those issued of late by several Western European countries and the United States.
Serbian and international news reports said that during the visit, Tadic and Sarkozy agreed on a strategic bilateral partnership providing for co-operation in Serbia's European integration efforts in cultural, scientific, educational and economic structures.
Serbia’s Blic said that Tadic would prefer that the final agreement be signed in Belgrade.
Tadic and Sarkozy agreed that no new conditions should be set for visa-free travel to the EU by Serbian citizens. A report to the European Commission this past week said that Serbia had not yet met all the conditions for liberalised visa access to the EU.
Serbia vehemently rejects Kosovo’s February 2008 unilateral declaration of independence, which it is challenging in the World Court. France was among the first countries to recognise Kosovo.
Serbian news agency Beta, quoting a statement made by Tadic to Serbian state television on May 27 2009, reported him as saying: "The French president told me that no one expects Serbia or will make any implicit or explicit recognition of Kosovo a condition for Serbia on its path of European integration. I think that it is very important and a great political feat".
Kosovo and Serbia’s EU accession process were two separate issues, Tadic said.
Ahead of his visit to Paris, Tadic said in an interview with French daily Le Figaro that Serbia would "never recognise" Kosovo as independent. He told Le Figaro that he hoped that France and Serbia could achieve a strategic partnership like that "of the golden era before World War 1".
Sarkozy told Tadic to work with Kosovo, a message similar to those issued of late by several Western European countries and the United States.
Serbian and international news reports said that during the visit, Tadic and Sarkozy agreed on a strategic bilateral partnership providing for co-operation in Serbia's European integration efforts in cultural, scientific, educational and economic structures.
Serbia’s Blic said that Tadic would prefer that the final agreement be signed in Belgrade.
Tadic and Sarkozy agreed that no new conditions should be set for visa-free travel to the EU by Serbian citizens. A report to the European Commission this past week said that Serbia had not yet met all the conditions for liberalised visa access to the EU.
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This comment has been hidden by the moderator because it contained квалификации.
Serbia is a Russian creation, and any membership in the EU is a big risk for Europe and the Western world. History has shown that Serbia has never not kept their principles, moral and political, and always has chosen Russia as allies. I had the opportunity to talk with a couple of Serbs and their opinion about the western world. The Serbs called Europe as "old bitch" and the people of Europe as a very stupid people who has no principles, and that we have a double standard. Hatred towards the Europeans is very large. I do not agree that [...]
Read the full comment Serbia becomes part of the EU, they shall continue to cooperate with Russia, it is my opinion.
"He told Le Figaro that he hoped that France and Serbia could achieve a strategic partnership like that "of the golden era before World War 1"."
Whooowww, I can not believe my eyes when I read this. If someone said to me, whether Serbia should enter the EU before Kosovo, I would say NO. Serbia will never be a natural ally in Europe, but the Albanians have always been on the west side, while the Albanians wanted to democracy, the Serbs are opposed to democracy and are held to a "mother Russia". I believe that the [...]
Read the full comment EU will review the situation in the Balkans!
Aarni T. It doesn't matter if Serbia is admitted into EU or not. Kosovo will NOT be allowed because Cyprus will make sure of that. They are very determined not to recognize you and even more not to let you in.
So, don't worry about Serbia for it is Cyprus who is going to guarantee you never get in just like Russia is a guarantee you will never get into UN as well.
You have more enemies than you know.
european governments do what they need to do to keep as few people as possible from kosovo out of their countries. nothing scared rome vienna and berlin more then the thousands of kosovans knocking at their door in 1999. they think give em kosovo even if we brake laws and upset our friends by doing so.
Kosova is an independent country and France is one of the first countries to accept Kosova. Why are the Serbs so politically and historically deluded? They have to understand that the golden years of "Glorious Mother Russia", when they could play with the fates of people and countries are long gone.
No pressure to recognise Kosovo what a turn around I wonder why? US global games with the EU and Serbia.
Well, the Kosovo project was launched in order to prove UN obsolete and unnecessary.Namely, if a group of countries (e.g. NATO countries)decides to recognise provinces and regions as sovereign states, they can do so just by the power of their economic and military might, regardless of the rest of the world. If they manage to pull it off in the case of Kosovo precedent, there will be no stopping for any such acts in the future. The question WHY, which arises from the abovementioned statements, has a simple answer - the remodelling of the world map so as to gain [...]
Read the full comment access to natural riches and sources of energy within regions and provinces of non-American-ass-kissing countries.
I know it sounds like a theory of conspiracy but unfortunately it is the inevitable truth. So, the Serbs and Albanians should not take personally the fact that they are being used, or abused, for the greater good of the American predominance. The best of luck to all of you because you are going to need it!
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Politicians come and politicians go but Kosova will stay and every day nails Kosova firmer on the world map.
"Well, God knows what Sarkozy and before him Mr. Biden told him "privately" .... Never say never ... "
Sounds to me like you think you know as well.
Has God been speaking to you?
Seriously, all you have here is wishful thinking.
i've been to france several times ..trust me the french respect serbia and understand their potential is equal to any current e.u member and far greater then any other balkan country
Cool. Perhaps Carla Bruni exerted some positive influence on Nick Sarko?
Well, God knows what Sarkozy and before him Mr. Biden told him "privately" .... Never say never ...
No. We, as the citizens of the EU, must not accept this kind of pre-emptive statements made by mr. Sarkozy. If Serbia is let into the EU before Kosovo, then it is sure that Kosovo will not be let in, in any foreseeable future. We shall not commit the same error as was done by the predecessor of mr. Sarkozy, by mr. Chirac, who in 2002 gave a loose promise to the leaders of Romania and Bulgaria that their countries will get the entry in 2006 or 2007, at the latest. And that happened. Are those countries ready for the [...]
Read the full comment EU even yet?
Serbia and Kosovo must be accepted to the EU simultaneously. But not very soon. Otherwise the other will stay out forever. And that's what we don't want to happen.
This comment has been removed by the moderator because it contained