20 March 2010.

On March 17, six years since the sufferings of Serbs and other non-Albanians in the violence exerted by Kosovo Albanian extremists were marked. The highest state officials and political party representatives condemned the expulsion of more than 4,000 people and the destruction of the property and cultural heritage of Serbs in Kosmet. EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule paid a visit to Belgrade as part of his Balkan tour. More from Đuro Malobabić.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule had talks in Belgrade with the highest Serbian officials on European integrations. He assessed Serbia had many tasks to fulfill on that course and that the European Commission is resolute to offer help. Serbian President Boris Tadić said he expects Serbia’s candidature for full-fledged membership will be forwarded to the European Commission as soon as possible and that EU member-states’ parliaments will soon start the process of ratification of the Stabilization and Association Agreement. Pointing to the fact that EU membership is Serbia’s strategic priority, Tadic said there was strong political will in Serbia and significant administrative capacities for the fulfillment of all the requirements for joining the EU.

European Parliament Rapporteur for Serbia Jelko Kacin had talks with most parliamentary parties during his three-day visit to Belgrade. He emphasized all the talks had been held in a positive atmosphere, except in the case of one party. The EU is ready to ratify the Stabilization and Association Agreement as soon as the Serbian leadership arrests the remaining Hague indictees, he said. The MPs of the Serbian Radical Party said they would have talks with Kacin at the moment when he agrees to Serbia’s being a state like any other, with its own Constitution, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

On Tuesday, Serbian MPs continued the session of the spring sitting begun on March 2. They have so far discussed 12 of the 37 bills and other acts. They are yet to discuss amendments on the bills on amnesty and on those referring to the confirmation of various international agreements and contracts. BLIC daily has published information that the Serbian Parliament could make a decision on the text of the resolution on Srebrenica as early as next Tuesday. The idea of the ruling coalition is to adopt this resolution before the visit of Hague Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz towards the end of March.  Parliament Speaker Slavica Đukić-Dejanović said on Wednesday there were already two or three versions of the resolution, including a text offered by the Democratic Party of Serbia-New Serbia coalition, which condemns all the crimes.

The leader of the Serbian Renewal Movement, Vuk Drašković, said at the celebration of the 20th anniversary of that party that the EU and Euro-Atlantic integrations of Serbia had no alternative and that a European Serbia would be attractive for all nations, above all for ex-Yugoslav ones. This must be our strategic goal, he said, adding Serbia must not experience any defeat any more. The celebration was attended by representatives of the diplomatic corps, religious communities and parliamentary parties - the Democratic Party, G17 Plus, the Democratic Party of Serbia and the Serbian Progressive Party.

Serbian Progressive Party President Tomislav Nikolić suggested to the leaders of the Democratic Party of Serbia and New Serbia, Vojislav Koštunica and Velimir Ilić respectively, to draw up together a programme for the future of Serbia, to be a foundation for a future government. He said more than one million people had signed an initiative of his party for early elections, to be submitted to the Serbian government within 10 days.