Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic pinned his hopes on January 28 which, he said during his latest visit to Germany, would be the deadline for the EU to sign the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with Serbia. Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica was also quoted as saying: "It is certain that on January 28 an agreement will be signed with Serbia, or the EU will adopt a decision to break up Serbia during its mission. Only one decision will be made and that choice lies with the EU."
Just after signing the new Lisbon Treaty on December 13, 2007, EU leaders immediately shifted their attention to challenges in the Balkans, ending a long institutional stalemate; and demonstrated that Serbia should be on a fast-track to joining the union, once Belgrade meets the conditions to sign a first-level agreement on closer ties.
It seems that a win-win deal could be secured, with Kosovo used as the bargaining chip.
Kosovo, the predominantly ethnic Albanian province with a population of 2 million, has been seeking independence since the Balkan wars in the 1990s. Its untenable status quo, in addition to future settlement, has been essential for stability in the Balkan region; and the Kosovo talks have become all the more Serbia's foreign policy clout. EU member countries, nevertheless, are divided on the issue.
A handful of EU states-Cyprus, Greece, Slovakia and Romania- remain reluctant to recognize the independence of the Serbian breakaway province of Kosovo. Belgian Foreign Minister Karel de Gucht pointed out the lessons from the 1990s Balkan crisis, saying: "We saw what happened in former Yugoslavia when the European Union did not take the matter in hand."
The Serbian side insists that Kosovo's push for independence could trigger instability in the Balkans. The Serbian Foreign Minister reiterated that it would never give up Kosovo province in exchange for accelerated accession to the EU.
The Serbian presidential election on January 20 could shed some light on things. The election will give voters a say on whether Serbia should move closer to the EU or protest its role in the Kosovo issue.
The Serbians, as a matter of course, welcome decisions to address public concern over the strain on their livelihood stemming from the nation's slack post-war economy. Current president Boris Tadic, who advocates closer ties with the European Union - regardless of Kosovo's future status – will win the support of the majority of Serbian voters who believe that the country's entrance into the EU will be the turning point for a better life.
The EU is generally pleased with the upcoming Serbian presidential election; and recently stressed its confidence in Serbia to progress towards EU membership. Its candidacy could be accelerated, according to a draft copy of the EU summit communiqué.
The Kosovo issue; however, must be resolved to be guaranteed the candidacy.
The Balkans, long reputed as a dangerous spot in southeastern Europe, has been plagued with problems with long historical legacies as well as one newly emerging from uneven social development.
Kosovo set aside, whether and when the SAA will be signed to fulfill its first step toward the EU membership as planned primarily depends on Serbia's full cooperation with the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague.
To this day, it has remained bewildering whether or not Serbia will be able to eliminate the obstacles to European Union membership since the union streamlined its structures to cope with the acceptance of 12 ex-communist states in 2004 and 2007.
By People's Daily Online
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