“This is a strong signal from the European Union to Serbia and the Serbian people.” With these words, President of the General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) and Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel addressed the representatives of all EU Member States and Serbia at the celebration on the occasion of the signing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement with Serbia on the margins of the EU Council meeting in Luxembourg today.
This event shows to Serbia and its people that the European Union wishes for it to join the European family of nations, stated Minister Rupel. This is the key event of the realisation of Serbia’s European perspective, which was agreed on in Thessaloniki in 2003 and confirmed on several later occasions. “Europe is prepared to walk a common path with Serbia. Now, Serbia must prove that it is ready for this step,” said the Minister, adding that Serbia and its people must now make the right decisions and show that they accept the principles, rules, and values of the European Union. The implementation of the Agreement still depends on Serbia's full cooperation with the Hague International Criminal Court; Serbia will fully enjoy its benefits only after these conditions have been met, he stated. He concluded his address by inviting Serbia and its people to make the right choice: “Serbia’s European future is now in the hands of its people,” he added.
