Speaking in Prague, where he was attending the European Socialist Party congress, Tadić said that the unfreezing of the interim agreement would be followed by a thorough analysis, and soon afterward by a decision on a suitable time for Serbia to apply for EU candidate status.
EU foreign ministers yesterday decided to activate an interim trade agreement with Serbia, amid satisfaction that Belgrade is implementing key European reforms - including the agreement itself.
The measure stops short of unfreezing the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA), but is seen as a step forward by the Netherlands, which until now has been very strict on Serbia's cooperation with the ICTY (the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia; see 'Background').
Serge Brammertz, the ICTY's chief prosecutor, informed the ministers in detail about Serbia's cooperation with the tribunal, which he described as "better than ever before". For his part, Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen confirmed that Belgrade had done "everything it can".
The decision to unfreeze the SAA is expected to be taken after six months, after Brammertz's next regular report to the UN Security Council, Serbian diplomats told EurActiv.
Relations between Brussels and Belgrade have "never been better," the diplomats admitted, referring to a recent decision to lift visa requirements for Serbian citizens visiting the EU's Schengen area.
A Western diplomat quoted by Reuters said that the EU had made "a gesture" toward Belgrade, while at the same time "keeping up the pressure".
The Serbian press quotes Verhagen as saying that Belgrade should not rush its EU bid and would be better off waiting until the SAA has been ratified by the EU.
Vladimir Vučković, a professor at the Megatrend University of Serbia, told the daily Blic that the unfreezing of the interim agreement would change very little for Serbia in practical terms as the document was being implemented already.
But he added that the measure would improve the image of the country and help to attract foreign investment.
