Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-04-09-Speech-3-065"
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"en.20080409.20.3-065"2
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"Naturally I too would like to offer my congratulations to the rapporteur. This is a very good report. It is a very good thing that Croatia and Macedonia may obtain membership of the Union before the 2009 European elections. In respect of the latter we must clearly avoid adding political conditions for accession, especially in spheres that, like property rights or indemnity claims, belong to the sphere of bilateral relations. The process of enlargement cannot be allowed to be hostage to such tensions.
There is also a broader context to this process. Enlargement of the Union into the Western Balkans is a European contribution to stabilisation of this region – a region in which we failed in the 1990s. For this process to be completed, we must also send a positive signal to Belgrade. By recognising Kosovo, we have placed the pro-European section of public opinion in Serbia in a very awkward position. We are left with little time to go even part of the way towards balancing out that impression.
A road map for a visa agreement with Serbia is needed. We should sign a stabilisation and association agreement as a matter of great urgency. Today this agreement has become hostage to the internal policy of two Member States, but the whole Union may have to pay the price of stopping it."@en1
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