Serbia softens Kosovo stance, pledges EU ambassadors' return[fr][de] 

The decision means envoys will return to Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Holland, Italy, Hungary, Germany, Slovenia, Sweden and Great Britain. Ambassadors to Poland and Denmark will follow as soon as they have been appointed. 

Belgrade does not maintain embassies in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ireland or Luxembourg, as those countries are covered by the envoys from neighbouring ones.

The move annuls a decision by the cabinet of former Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, which ordered the envoys' withdrawal from all countries that recognised Kosovo's declaration of independence on 17 February (EurActiv 18/02/08). 

In Greece, Cyprus, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Spain, which all withheld diplomatic recognition of Kosovo, Serbia left its envoys in place. 

The government made clear that their decision would only apply to EU countries. The ambassador to Washington or those of other non-EU states that recognised Kosovo would not be reinstated.

Commenting on yesterday's step, Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic said it was meant to "enhance the diplomatic capacities of Serbia". He stressed that it should not be misinterpreted as giving up on Kosovo, which would forever remain part of Serbia. 

This was the point made by the nationalist opposition, which said the decision amounted to "a capitulation" by Serbia.

The government's decision appears to be part of an overall charm offensive launched at EU leaders and designed to speed up Serbia's process of integration into Western institutions. 

On Monday (21 July), Serbian authorities captured Europe's most wanted war criminal Radovan Karadzic, who, after 13 years of hiding, will now be turned over to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICYT) (EurActiv 22/07/08). 

Enlargement Commission Olli Rehn hailed the step, describing it as a "milestone" for Serbia's efforts to join the EU, while others are now demanding the intensification of efforts to apprehend the number two on the list, General Ratko Mladic. 

Cooperating with the ICTY has always been a key EU demand for Serbia's further rapprochement towards the bloc. It is the only remaining obstacle to the ratification of the pre-membership Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) signed at the end of April (EurActiv 30/04/08). 

The EU has repeatedly called on the former Kostunica government to cooperate with the tribunal, but it had kept receiving the same response: that Karadzic and Mladic were not in Serbia (EurActiv 23/04/08).