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EU says too early for Serbia deal Dutch reject Serbia deal with EU
(about 4 hours later)
EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn says a pre-membership deal should be signed with Serbia shortly, but not until presidential elections are over. The Dutch government has rejected calls from EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn for Serbia to be allowed to sign a pre-membership agreement shortly.
Speaking in Brussels before a meeting of EU foreign ministers, Mr Rehn said a "very strong signal of a European future" should be sent to Serbia.Speaking in Brussels before a meeting of EU foreign ministers, Mr Rehn said a "very strong signal of a European future" should be sent to Serbia.
But he said it was premature to discuss signing before the polls next weekend. But the Netherlands said no pact should be signed until Serbia handed over war crimes suspects to The Hague tribunal.
The Dutch government says fugitive war crimes suspect Ratko Mladic should be handed over before any deal is struck. General Ratko Mladic is among those indicted on genocide charges.
The UN war crimes tribunal is still searching for the Bosnian Serb commander, who was indicted on genocide charges in connection with the massacre of Muslim men and boys at Srebrenica in 1995. He is wanted in connection with the massacre of Muslim men and boys at Srebrenica during the Bosnian war in 1995.
'Progress'
Deputy Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans told reporters the Netherlands would not sign until there was full co-operation with the tribunal.
The Serbian government says it does not know where Mr Mladic is.The Serbian government says it does not know where Mr Mladic is.
'Significant progress'
Deputy Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans told reporters the Netherlands would sign a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) "the moment Serbia hands over the people who stand indicted for the Yugoslavia tribunal".
Mr Rehn said that while the EU should insist on Serbia's full co-operation, Belgrade had made "significant progress especially since last spring".Mr Rehn said that while the EU should insist on Serbia's full co-operation, Belgrade had made "significant progress especially since last spring".
EU member states are keen to send Serbia a positive message before the presidential run-off on 3 February, when ultra-nationalist candidate Tomislav Nikolic takes on pro-Western incumbent Boris Tadic. Until now the EU has made the arrest of war criminals a condition for signing the deal.
The BBC's Oana Lungescu in Brussels says EU foreign ministers will back a plan to start talks on allowing Serbs to travel to EU countries without a visa, after years of isolation. But the BBC's Oana Lungescu in Brussels say it is now taking a softer line, amid concerns that Serbia is moving away from the West as it faces a key presidential election overshadowed by the imminent independence of its breakaway province of Kosovo.
And she says they will not yet give the green light to the deployment of a civilian police and justice mission to Kosovo, to avoid any suggestion that independence for the breakaway Serbian province is inevitable. On 3 February, ultra-nationalist candidate Tomislav Nikolic takes on pro-Western incumbent Boris Tadic in the second round of the presidential election.
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said there was no question of interference in Serbia's electoral process.
"What we would like is everybody to know that the European Union is committed to move as close as possible (for) Serbia to the European Union."
Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic is in Brussels and will talk to EU ministers on the margins of the meeting.Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic is in Brussels and will talk to EU ministers on the margins of the meeting.