EU hails Serbia’s EU candidacy

EU leaders and Serbian ministers hailed the decision to grant Serbia candidate status, though Serbia’s main opposition leader said the achievement would mean little if the country remained under the same government.

President Boris Tadic congratulated Serbia on obtaining EU candidate status late on Thursday night.

The award was recognition that Serbia had undertaken “comprehensive reforms… to become a democratic society regulated by laws which respect human and minority rights and affirm European values,” the President stated.

Candidate status should also open the door to economic progress and prosperity in future, he remarked.