Serbia takes first steps on the long road to EU membership



BELGRADE: Serbia is at the beginning of its journey to become a member of the European Union. On Monday, Prime MInister Aleksandar Vucic and representatives of the EU opened the first two of 35 stages of negotations for Belgrade to join the bloc.

One is on Serbia’s normalisation of relations with its breakaway territory of Kosovo, the other is on financial control.

Belgrade at present does not recognise the sovereignty of Kosovo however, last August the two agreed a deal.

It included a plan to avert further confrontations in the divided city of Mitrovica by allowing freedom of movement and rules to use a contentious bridge.

It also provided for 10 municipalities with a Serbian majority to have their own assembly with an elected president, and flag while remaining subject to Kosovo law.

Although there has been limited implementation of the deal, a new pragmatism is shaping EU in the light of the migration crisis and Russia’s presence in the Balkans, prompting the EU to rethink plans to stop expanding.


-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2015-12-15

Serbia is a beautiful country to explore. Best of luck.

Serbia is a beautiful country to explore. Best of luck.

Serbia is a nasty little country with an appalling history. It should never be invited to join the EU until some changes of heart and attitude become believable.

Serbia is a good place to visit, but they do have a terrible human rights history.

Why to hell does anyone wanna join the EU anyway?

Serbia is a beautiful country to explore. Best of luck.

Serbia is a nasty little country with an appalling history. It should never be invited to join the EU until some changes of heart and attitude become believable.

Agreed. Many countries have appalling histories. Best of luck to Serbia in overcoming their past actions. I'm an optimist! LOL

Serbia is a beautiful country to explore. Best of luck.

Serbia is a nasty little country with an appalling history. It should never be invited to join the EU until some changes of heart and attitude become believable.

Like Croatia?

Serbia is a beautiful country to explore. Best of luck.

Serbia is a nasty little country with an appalling history. It should never be invited to join the EU until some changes of heart and attitude become believable.

They've done their fair share of bad things, but you can say much the same about all the other former parts of what was then Yugoslavia (and Albania).

Serbia is a beautiful country to explore. Best of luck.

Another case of a country like Greece and Cyprus with a big begging bowl at the ready, for their inevitable 'bailout' application.

Why would any country want to join the EU the way it is at the moment. Unelected bureaucrats living the high life, dictatorship approach and flooded with illegal immigrants, with more on the way.

The only prediction I am going to make is they will be accepted for EU membership long before Turkey.

Best of luck.

Serbia is a beautiful country to explore. Best of luck.

And I offer you my German citizenship for 1 baht. Plus one free Merkel.

The only prediction I am going to make is they will be accepted for EU membership long before Turkey.

Best of luck.

One more who didn't listen in his geography lesson. Drive over the bridge also called the Bosporus, and you're in Asia.

Maybe Thailand should become a member too? And Merkel will save their souls. Amen.

Serbia is a good place to visit, but they do have a terrible human rights history.

Why to hell does anyone wanna join the EU anyway?

Maybe because Germany is really good in ...aehh printing money, perhaps? And looking at the right guy's greasy hair makes me vomit.

Serbia is a good place to visit, but they do have a terrible human rights history.

Why to hell does anyone wanna join the EU anyway?

eeerm Visa free travel mainly. Let's not get started on subsidies and development grants and infrastructure "donations".