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Serbia formally launches EU accession talks

22 January 2014 04:45 (UTC +04:00)

On Tuesday, a large delegation of Serbian officials, led by Prime Minister Ivica Dacic, joined EU ministers and officials in Brussels for the formal launch of membership talks.

“This is an historic day for Serbia,” probably “the most important since World War II,” said Dacic.

The negotiations are expected to last several years as Serbia has to align its laws and institutions with EU norms.

“Hard work will be needed and many challenges lie ahead,” said the EU's Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele, adding, “It will not be just a ticking of the boxes.”

The eastern European country first applied for EU membership in 2009, at a time when the bloc was grappling with a growing financial crisis.

But Serbia's agreement to normalize relations with Kosovo, under an EU-brokered deal in April 2013, was the key which led to the start of membership talks.

“Serbia will need to remain fully committed to normalization with Pristina,” Fuele said.

EU Ambassador to Serbia Michael Davenport also said, “Serbia has made a lot of progress over the last three or four years - putting much stronger emphasis on regional cooperation, and in particular trying to sort out the issue of Kosovo.”

Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008, in a move that drew condemnation from Serbia. The country, along with five EU states, does not recognize Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence.

Serbia, which is home to 7.1 million people, hopes that the start of negotiations would improve its struggling economy that is suffering from high unemployment and rising public deficit.