Following the resumption of talks with Serbias Deputy Prime Minister and SAA Chief Negotiator Bozidar Djelic on 13 June 2007, Rehn told reporters that he was "delighted to see Serbia back on the European track and back at the negotiating table".
The Enlargement Commissioner said that the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) would not only mean concrete trade and economic benefits for Serbia, but also represented a gateway for a next step towards Serbia's EU accession.
However, he cautioned that full co-operation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), which should lead to the arrest of the remaining indictees, was a condition for the conclusion of the SAA talks.
The talks were suspended last year, due to Serbia falling short of handing over former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic and former military commander Ratko Mladic to the UN War Crimes Tribunal.
Djelic said that his country was eager to "catch up" with his neighbouring countries. Croatia and Macedonia have already been granted candidate status. He said: "Serbia needs a fresh start."
Djelic was confident that the agreement could be finalised and initialled during the next few months. He said that Serbia was aiming to gain candidate status by next year.
When asked about the Kosovo issue, Rehn said that the "EU track and the UN track" were "two separate processes". He added that it would "not be for Serbia to make concessions on Kosovo for returning to the European track". However, he said that he expected a "constructive approach" from Serbia towards the final settlement of the Kosovo status.
Commenting on the same issue, the Serbian deputy PM said: "We will peacefully defend the territorial integrity of our country."
A draft Resolution to settle the final status of the Serbian province of Kosovo is currently under discussion by the UN Security Council. The text, which foresees de facto independence for the Serbian province of Kosovo, is supported by the EU and the US, but Serbia, backed by Russia, remains opposed to an independent Kosovo. The province has been under international civil and military administration since the 1999 conflict.
