EUHR Solana met with the Prime Minister of Serbia

Javier SOLANA, European Union High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, met today with Vojislav KOSTUNICA, Prime Minister of Serbia.

The High Representative welcomed the opportunity to continue the close contacts with Serbia with a view to Serbia and Montenegro's progress towards the EU. He stressed the importance of improved relations between the Serbian authorities and the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY). He underlined that significant progress on co-operation with ICTY was needed now to allow faster progress towards Europe. He emphasised that the generous offer made by the EU with the twin-track approach in view of a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) was an opportunity not to be missed.

The High Representative and Prime Minister Kostunica briefly discussed recent developments regarding the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro. Javier Solana reiterated the EU's strong support for the Union and invited his interlocutor to be constructive and to enhance dialogue with all leaders at the Republican and Union's level in order to find acceptable solutions to existing open issues. He emphasised that all energies should be spent in focusing on concrete matters such as reforms and fulfilment of international obligations.

| Top |

• EUHR Solana supports the decisions taken by Paddy Ashdown in favour of cooperation with the ICTY (16/12/2004)