Serbian prime minister Mirko Cvetković, in successive meetings with European Commission President Jose Barroso and with European Council President Herman van Rompuy, has been given encouraging signals about support for Serbia’s EU integration – but with the familiar calls for full co-operation with the ICTY, judicial and other essential reforms.
 
Barroso said that Cvetković’s country could "really be proud of some of its recent achievements".
 
According to Barroso, "2009 was indeed a very good year for Serbia as far as EU integration in concerned".
 
The visa liberalisation regime was approved, the interim agreement entered into force and Serbia submitted its application for EU membership.
 
"All these steps testify Serbia's strong commitment to move forward on the EU integration path. This is a commitment that I and the Commission fully support," Barroso said.
 
The European Commission was ready to prepare a thorough and objective opinion on Serbia's application as soon as the EU Council requests this, Barroso told Cvetković.
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Barroso said that Serbia needed to make further progress on key EU integration areas.
 
"It is fundamental for Serbia to guarantee an independent and efficient judiciary. Let me also stress again that full co-operation with the ICTY is essential."
 
In what was open to interpretation as a reference to, at least, Kosovo – which unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in February 2008 and remains a divisive issue for EU states – Barroso said that good regional co-operation was essential.
 
"Active engagement with neighbouring countries towards solving pending regional and bilateral issue is a key element of European integration," Barroso said.
 
He said that he was fully aware of the economic and financial constraints facing Serbia, "and I praise the Serbian government's efforts to put the country again in a growth path".
 
"We stand ready to continue our financial assistance to the Serbian government provided, of course, that the programme of reforms is carried out," Barroso said.
 
Van Rompuy expressed satisfaction about the SAA taking effect and said that he fully supported the integration of Serbia and the Western Balkans into the EU, Serbian media said.

Van Rompuy said that he had spoken on March 4 to Hague Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz, who had commended the level of co-operation between Serbia and the Tribunal.
 
Additional effort from Serbia towards achieving full co-operation with The Hague Tribunal was required, according to Van Rompuy.

He said that the key part of the association process of the Western Balkans was regional co-operation and added that it should also include Kosovo "in a pragmatic way", Serbian news website B92 said.