Eurasia Press & News
Dutch FM Maxime Verhagen says Serbia’s progress in EU integration will not be on the agenda before Serge Brammertz submits his next report.
The chief Hague prosecutor’s new report is due in June.
“The position of the Netherlands remains unchanged in principle. Last December we responded to Brammertz’s positive report by approving the implementation of the Interim Trade Agreement. At the same time, I insisted during my visit to Belgrade that Serbia fully exploit this positive development and take concrete steps to find Ratko Mladić,” Verhagen said in an interview published in the Thursday edition of Belgrade daily Večernje Novosti.
“We will consider this matter again in June when Brammetz’s next report is due,” Verhagen added. “We will decide based on that report when the ratification of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) will start”.
Asked when the Council of Ministers will ask the European Commission to start drafting its opinion on Serbia’s bid for EU candidate status, Verhagen said this could not be discussed before the SAA is ratified.
