Serbia cannot and must not give up on its European future, President Boris Tadic said on Friday after the European Council postponed until March a decision on whether to grant Serbia European Union candidate status, which prompted Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic to tender his resignation.
Tadic said Serbia could not give up on its future in the European Union, because that would have far-reaching consequences for it and its citizens.
"Irrespective of the European Council's decision today, I stand behind this policy and will do so in the future as well," Tadic told a press conference called after the decision.
He said the truth should never be hidden from citizens and that the truth was that Serbia's policy regarding Kosovo did not match Serbia's interest to become an EU member.
The media reported that Djelic, the deputy PM for European integration, tendered his resignation, disgruntled with the European Council's decision. He had announced he would do so if Serbia was not granted candidate status.
Tadic said some EU countries had recognised Kosovo's independence and wanted Serbia to do the same in an open or direct manner, but he added that Serbia would not do so, either indirectly or directly.
"I won citizens' support at the last election for the policy of preserving our interests in Kosovo and Metohija, for preserving the integrity and defending the rights of our fellow countrymen in Kosovo and Metohija, and for leading the country towards the EU. I will remain committed to that policy till the end."
He said this meant that he was deeply convinced that, although Serbia was not granted candidate status today, it would get it next time and that it remained to be seen if this would be next February or March, adding that one should not spread unfounded optimism but work every day to make it happen.
Tadic said the European Council's decision was "a wind in the sails" of the political parties that did not want Serbia in the EU but wanted a return to the 1990s.
"Those who voted and insisted on that decision in Brussels today, and they were only a few countries, one, two or maybe three, should know that they have given a lot of support to the political parties that want Serbia to give up on its European future. But our job is to continue and win citizens' support."
Opposition parties in Serbia said the government was responsible for today's failure and that it should resign, while some government and NGO representatives said the delayed candidacy would not have economic consequences and that this was a postponed and not a missed opportunity.
