Serbian Deputy PM quits over EU candidacy

Bozidar Djelic, Serbia’s Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, resigned from the post after Brussels delayed the decision over the country’s EU bid.

Djelic told reporters in Brussels that Friday’s decision of the European Council to examine Serbia’s candidacy bid in March “was not what Serbia had expected.”

He added his decision was driven by promises he had made in August, that he will quit if Serbia is not granted candidate status in December.

The European Council said on Friday that Brussels will decide in February whether to grant Serbia candidate status in March.

Serbia may obtain EU candidacy only after EU foreign ministers “examine and confirm that Serbia has continued to show credible commitment and achieved further progress in moving forward with the implementation in good faith of agreements” with Kosovo.

These include: agreements on border management and “inclusive regional cooperation”, as well as allowing NATO peacekeepers to fulfil their mandates in the former Serbian province.

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