Written answers

Thursday, 9 October 2008

Department of Foreign Affairs

Foreign Conflicts

5:00 pm

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 165: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the political situation in the south-western Balkans; the extent to which it is expected to achieve political equilibrium and stability in the region within the next five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34378/08]

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The December 2007 European Council reaffirmed that the future of the Western Balkans lies within the European Union. The countries within that region (Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia) continue to feature on the agenda of the General Affairs and External Relations Council.

The European Union's Stabilisation and Association process for South-East Europe aims to bring the countries of the region closer to EU standards and principles. The process involves the negotiation of Stabilisation and Association Agreements (SAAs) with each of the countries. SAAs focus mainly on trade liberalisation in goods and other economic and trade-related issues, political dialogue, legal approximation, and cooperation in sectors such as industry, environment and energy.

Stabilisation and Association Agreements have now been signed with all of the countries in the region with the exception of Kosovo. The Agreements with Croatia, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia are already in effect. Interim Agreements dealing with economic and trade related matters — essentially matters which fall within the exclusive competence of the European Community — are in force with Albania, Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina, pending the ratification of the main agreements and their entry into force. The SAA with Serbia was signed on 29 April 2008. An Interim Agreement dealing with economic and trade matters was signed at the same time. The Council welcomed the signature of the SAA and the Interim Agreement as an important step on Serbia's path towards the EU. The Council decided that the ratification process of the SAA by Member States and implementation of the Interim Agreement would begin as soon as the Council decided unanimously that Serbia was cooperating fully with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). In this context, the arrest in Belgrade on 11 June of Stojan Zupljanin, one of the four remaining war crime fugitives charged with crimes committed in Bosnia-Herzegovina, marked a welcome and significant step towards fulfilling the condition of full cooperation with ICTY.

Furthermore, I congratulated President Tadic and the Serbian security forces on the successful arrest on 21 July of the former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, who was indicted in July 1995 by ICTY on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity. I would urge the Government of Serbia to build on this success and continue its efforts to finalise full cooperation with ICTY, and hope that the SAA will be ratified as soon as possible.

Negotiations on an SAA with Bosnia-Herzegovina concluded late last year. Signature of the agreement was linked to key reform priorities being advanced. In the light of progress made by Bosnia-Herzegovina in its reform programme, the SAA was signed in Luxembourg on 16 June 2008.

In addition to the Stabilisation and Association Process, the European Union opened negotiations on accession with Croatia in 2005. The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia has obtained candidate status, although its negotiations on accession have not yet commenced.

Recent developments in the Western Balkans have largely focused on Kosovo and the decision of the Kosovo Assembly to declare independence on 17 February 2008. At the General Affairs and External Relations Council on 18 February, EU Foreign Ministers agreed a common response to Kosovo's declaration of independence, noting the uniqueness of Kosovo's situation, arising from the conflict of the 1990s and the eight years of UN administration which followed, and reaffirming the EU's willingness to play a leading role in strengthening stability in the region including by means of the planned ESDP rule of law mission, EULEX KOSOVO.

The Council also agreed that Member States would decide, in accordance with national practice and international law, on their relations with Kosovo. Since then, 21 EU Member States, including Ireland, have recognised Kosovo's independence.

With the coming into force of the new Kosovo constitution on 15 June, the focus for the EU is to ensure a smooth transition from the current UN mission (UNMIK) to the EU's EULEX KOSOVO mission, and to ensure that the international presence can operate effectively throughout Kosovo, including Serb majority areas in the North. The EU is working closely with the UN to achieve this.

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