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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Serbia invited to sign EU accord | Serbia invited to sign EU accord |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| European Union nations have agreed to ask Serbia to sign a political deal days after the presidential election. | European Union nations have agreed to ask Serbia to sign a political deal days after the presidential election. |
| The political framework agreement offers Belgrade closer trade relations and relaxed visa requirements. | The political framework agreement offers Belgrade closer trade relations and relaxed visa requirements. |
| EU ministers were keen to give Serbia a positive message before Sunday's election but could not agree to a full pre-membership accord with Serbia. | EU ministers were keen to give Serbia a positive message before Sunday's election but could not agree to a full pre-membership accord with Serbia. |
| The Dutch government said that should wait until Serbia handed over war crimes suspects to The Hague tribunal. | The Dutch government said that should wait until Serbia handed over war crimes suspects to The Hague tribunal. |
| Bosnian Serb General Ratko Mladic is among those indicted on genocide charges. | Bosnian Serb General Ratko Mladic is among those indicted on genocide charges. |
| He is wanted in connection with the massacre of Muslim men and boys at Srebrenica during the Bosnian war in 1995. | He is wanted in connection with the massacre of Muslim men and boys at Srebrenica during the Bosnian war in 1995. |
| The Serbian government says it does not know where Mr Mladic is but the EU has until now made the handover of suspects a condition of Belgrade signing the Stability and Association Agreement (SAA). | The Serbian government says it does not know where Mr Mladic is but the EU has until now made the handover of suspects a condition of Belgrade signing the Stability and Association Agreement (SAA). |
| Presidential run-off | Presidential run-off |
| 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 ministers are inviting Serbia to sign the new deal on 7 February. | EU foreign ministers are inviting Serbia to sign the new deal on 7 February. |
| British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said "the hand of friendship is going to be extended economically, culturally, politically" to Serbia to reinforce the message that its future lay in Europe. | British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said "the hand of friendship is going to be extended economically, culturally, politically" to Serbia to reinforce the message that its future lay in Europe. |
| EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana denied that the agreement being offered to Serbia was unprecedented. | EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana denied that the agreement being offered to Serbia was unprecedented. |
| "I don't think this is absolutely new but it's important that we get the European Union closer to Serbia and Serbia closer to the European Union." | "I don't think this is absolutely new but it's important that we get the European Union closer to Serbia and Serbia closer to the European Union." |
| Earlier Dutch Deputy Foreign Minister Franz Zimmerman's insisted that the Netherlands would agree to sign the pre-membership accord "the moment Serbia hands over the people who stand indicted for the Yugoslavia tribunal". |