“What matters is EU candidature, not footnotes”

BELGRADE -- The agreement reached by Belgrade and Priština is of great importance to Serbia and its European pathway, majority of Serbian parties have stated.

“The Brussels agreement is of huge importance to Serbia, not only in terms of the EU integration process, but also as a confirmation of Serbia's commitment to resolution of all Kosovo-Metohija issues through a dialogue and with agreement of both sides,” Ruling Democratic Party-led parliamentary group whip Nada Kolundžija told Tanjug.

She underlined that Friday's agreement was the most difficult so far since it tabled the most sensitive issues and thus gained in importance.

Kolundžija reiterated that a lasting solution could only be searched by means of a dialogue and compromise which would be acceptable for both parties.

She underlined that from the viewpoint of the EU integration, this was a “proof that Serbia is truly ready to resolve all open issues.”

Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO) leader Vuk Drašković has welcomed the agreement and pointed out that the most important thing is that Serbia will get the EU candidate status.

“Footnotes are not important, the more important thing is that Serbia will get the EU candidate status. I hope that a radical U-Turn of our state strategy will follow after the elections and that we will soon start the EU accession negotiations,” he pointed out.

The Social-Democratic Union (SDU) has stated it hopes that the agreement will not only be a good foundation for the granting of the EU candidate status but also as a foundation for the beginning of the normalization of relations in the region.

SDU also asked the government why such an important agreement was reached at the last minute and under an enormous international pressure.

“A key question that the government should also answer to citizens is what exactly Serbia’s realistic policy toward Kosovo is,” reads the SDU release.

Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (SVM) MP Balint Pastor has stated that the agreement represents good news because one of the EU conditions has been fulfilled.

“This is good news also because behavior of some Serbian officials in the last months and years, when they left meetings when someone from the territory of Kosovo was present, has caused enormous damage to our foreign policy and other plans,” Pastor stressed.

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader Čedomir Jovanović has assessed that the agreement is “excellent news” and added that Serbia is in fact getting a new chance thanks to the agreement and the EU candidate status that will surely be granted.

“The agreement and the EU candidacy represent a sort of an end to the irresponsible and poor policy that has sacrificed millions of citizens in the last 20 years and we need to use the opportunity,” Jovanović said.

Serb Radical Party (SRS) deputy leader Dragan Todorović said that the agreement reached by Belgrade and Priština was a “high treason” committed for the sake of the EU candidate status.

He explained that the agreement represents completion of snatching of Kosovo conducted by the U.S. and the EU and a complete failure of Serbian President Boris Tadić’s policy.

“This is one of the most shameful days in Serbia’s history and it will be written down in black letters,” Todorović pointed out.

The SRS official added that everything had been done so Serbia could get the “alleged” EU candidate status which, as he said, did not mean anything but will be used by the ruling parties in the election campaign.