The Netherlands has proposed unblocking parts of the European Union’s Stabilisation and Association Agreement with Serbia, frozen pending the Dutch being persuaded that Belgrade is co-operating fully with The Hague war crimes tribunal, according to Serbian deputy prime minister Bozidar Djelic.
 
On June 15 2009, Serbia was among countries to get a boost from EU foreign ministers who, meeting in Luxembourg, recommended liberalisation of Schengen visa access for citizens of Western Balkans countries that met the criteria.
 
However, the meeting did not see any movement on the question of Serbia’s SAA. The Netherlands has been firm in its opposition to the deal being implemented unless it is persuaded that Serbia is doing enough to hand over most-wanted war crimes suspects for prosecution. Belgium has allied itself to this stance.
 
At the June 15 Luxembourg meeting, The Hague tribunal chief prosecutor Serge Brammertz briefed the EU foreign ministers on progress in securing Belgrade’s full co-operation with the tribunal.
 
Serbian media quoted Djelic as saying that the Netherlands had offered to unblock some, but not all, of the SAA.
 
On June 14, the head of Serbia’s European integration office, Milica Delevic, told Serbian news agency Tanjug that her country had done enough for the SAA to be unblocked, and that this was being noticed by increasing numbers of countries and international organisations.
 
Serbian news agency Beta quoted Dutch foreign minister Maxime Verhagen as saying that The Netherlands believed that it was possible to abolish visas for Serbia and some other countries in the region, but emphasised that the arrest and extradition of wanted war criminals Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic remained obligatory.

The SAA issue is to be further discussed when the European Council meets on June 18 and 19 2009.