SERBIA: British Foreign Minister William Hague and Serbian counterpart Vuk Jeremic talk EU

Record ID: 737820

  • Title: SERBIA: British Foreign Minister William Hague and Serbian counterpart Vuk Jeremic talk EU
  • Date: 1st September 2010
  • Summary: BELGRADE, SERBIA (AUGUST 31, 2010) (REUTERS) **CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY** SERBIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY BUILDING SERBIAN FLAG PLAQUE READING: MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS BRITISH FOREIGN MINISTER WILLIAM HAGUE SHAKING HANDS WITH SERBIAN FOREIGN MINISTER VUK JEREMIC MINISTERS POSING TO MEDIA HAGUE AND JEREMIC SEATED WILLIAM HAGUE TALKING TO JEREMIC JEREMIC TALKING TO HAGUE A SIGN READING: MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS JEREMIC AND HAGUE ENTERING MEDIA CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH FOREIGN MINISTER, WILLIAM HAGUE, SAYING: "And so my position is the same as the German Foreign Minister, my colleague who was here last week. I hope it is possible to move on into the future and bring the Balkan nations into the European Union and I am concerned that if we are not able to do that, Serbia is maybe caught between its past and its future. And unable to recreate the past but finding the difficult to move on into the future." MINISTER LISTENING QUESTIONS (SOUNDBITE) (English) SERBIAN FOREIGN MINISTER VUK JEREMIC, SAYING: "One of the outcomes of today's several meetings that the foreign secretary has had it in Belgrade is total confirmation of the point of view, of the strategic point of view, there is no disagreement in that. What is exactly going to be the faster way to fulfilling of this vision, that remains to be seen in the days ahead. And we are going to work very hard. I assure you that we are going to work very hard in the best possible faith and being very constructive." MINISTERS AT THE CONFERENCE CAMERA OPERATOR (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) SERBIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, VUK JEREMIC, SAYING: "We are ready to act in an constructive way in order to review everybody's proposals, to engage in intensive dialogue and extended cooperation with all international factors and to do everything possible to secure support of that resolution before the UN General Assembly. There are red lines below which Serbia simply cannot go." (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH FOREIGN MINISTER, WILLIAM HAGUE, SAYING: "What we would like is for Serbia to engage in discussions with Cathy Ashton, the EU high representative, about the way forward that the whole the EU and Serbia can take together. And so we're looking for that route, for any negotiations and more detailed discussions to take place." MINISTERS LEAVING MEDIA CONFERENCE
  • Embargoed: 16th September 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Serbia
  • Country: Serbia
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVAE7H1GR4J4IPIAN5ZGQQ41PQY0
  • Story Text: British Foreign Minister William Hague held talks in the Serbian capital just days after his German counterpart Guido Westerwelle delivered a tough message during his own visit that Serbia should acknowledge the reality of Kosovo independence.
    The latest British and German diplomacy comes ten days before the United Nations is scheduled to debate a Serbian resolution on the status of Kosovo, its former province whose independence Belgrade does not recognise. Hague said Britain and the European Union wanted a coordinated text and approach to have a new resolution, British Foreign Minister William Hague said.
    "And so my position is the same as the German Foreign Minister, my colleague who was here last week. I hope it is possible to move on into the future and bring the Balkan nations into the European Union and I am concerned that if we are not able to do that, Serbia is maybe caught between its past and its future. And unable to recreate the past but finding the difficult to move on into the future," Hague added.
    Most EU member states and the United States recognise Kosovo, the smallest geographically and most impoverished of the former Yugoslav states. More than 90 percent of the population there are ethnic Albanians.
    Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic spends most of his time lobbying on Kosovo, and often travels to countries with few traditional ties to Belgrade to highlight the issue.
    "One of the outcomes of today's several meetings that the foreign secretary has had in Belgrade is total confirmation of the point of view, of the strategic viewpoint, there is no disagreement in that. What is exactly going to be the faster way to fulfilling of this vision, that remains to be seen in the days ahead. And we are going to work very hard. I assure you that we are going to work very hard in the best possible faith and being very constructive," Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic, said.
    EU impatience with Serbia grew after the International Court of Justice in the Hague, acting at Belgrade's request, issued an advisory opinion in July that Kosovo did not break international law by declaring independence.
    Jeremic indicated Serbia may show more compliance to EU demands for softening of its position, but that it will remain staunchly opposed to acknowledging Kosovo's independence.
    "We are ready to act in a constructive way in order to review everybody's proposals, to engage in intensive dialogue and extended cooperation with all international factors and to do everything possible to secure support of that resolution before the UN General Assembly. There are red lines below which Serbia simply cannot go," Jeremic said.
    The EU offered to help to Serbia to hold talks with Kosovo on practical issues. It also sought more compliance from Belgrade on the text of its UN resolution.
    "What we would like is for Serbia to engage in discussions with Cathy Ashton, the EU high representative, about the way forward that the whole the EU and Serbia can take together. And so we're looking for that route, for any negotiations and more detailed discussions to take place," Hague added.
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