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Tadic: The Vatican supports European integration and sovereignty of Serbia |
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 November 14, 2009
After the meeting with the Head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI, Serbian President Boris Tadic said the Vatican expressed support for the European integration of Serbia, as well as the integrity and sovereignty of Serbia in Kosovo and Metohija. Tadic expressed his gratitude to the principled positions of the Vatican, pointing to the importance of Kosovo as a source of Serbian statehood and culture. It is an area where Christian identity of the Serbian people was developed, and political cooperation between Serbia and the Holy See is of great importance due to great influence of the Vatican on international politics, said Tadic. It was jointly concluded that the Agenda 2014, which was proposed by Greek and Italian Prime Ministers Jorgos Papandreou and Silvio Berlusconi respectively, is a realistic plan for the integration of the Balkans into the European Union. The Serbian president said that the meeting with Pope Benedict XVI is also important for the ecumenical dialogue between churches, and reminded that the anniversary of the Milan Edict will be marked in 2013, and that Serbia wants to participate in this international celebration. Tadic said that he agreed with Benedict XVI that would be an ideal time for the Pope’s visit to Belgrade.
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