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The non-recognition of the genocide in Bosnia: “worrying” (Cazeneuve)

(BRUSSELS2) The French Minister for European Affairs, Bernard Cazeneuve, confirmed this during a press briefing in Strasbourg with some journalists. If Serbia progresses carefully » on the road to European membership, there is still « conditions to be respected: in particular good neighborliness he explained answering a question from B2. One of " foundations of European construction”, it is the respect of good relations with its neighbours. And " the recognition of the genocide (*) is part of the respect of these conditions, there is a set of points to respect. » Commenting on Nikolic's remarks, he added. These are “worrying remarks because they do not contribute to creating a climate of trust with Serbia. France expects Serbia to continue its efforts on the road to regional reconciliation. »

(*) A point which cannot bear discussion. International justice has clearly pronounced on this subject in 1995 we recall on the French side.

EU officials avoid uttering the word "genocide"

Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic was in Brussels on Thursday. And European officials were much less explicit than the French minister. The President of the European Commission, José-Manuel Barroso, mentioned " the normalization of Serbia's relations with Kosovo. (This) remains an absolutely central condition for moving forward in the next stages of the European Union process. It is important to do everything possible so that the Commission can possibly recommend the opening of negotiations with our Member States ". But he did not mention Bosnia and Herzegovina in his introductory remarks nor the word genocide. He preferred, on the contrary, to emphasize a series of economic or judicial reforms that Serbia had to undertake. " We must work closely with Serbia on key areas such as judicial reform, the fight against corruption (and) against organized crime, freedom of the media, protection of minorities, and structural economic reforms ».

Same caution with Catherine Ashton. The High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs also avoided angry words. Unlike her Portuguese colleague, she nevertheless insisted on the existence of “fundamental principles in the EU. And, to me, there's no place in today's world for rhetoric from the past. ". On Kosovo, his message is however more optimistic, urging the Serbs to continue their efforts: I was reassured to hear President Nikolic's commitments that the agreements reached within the framework of the dialogue undertaken (under the aegis of the European Union) with Pristina would be fully implemented”.

NB: Serbia obtained its status as a candidate country in March

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Nicolas Gros Verheyde

Chief editor of the B2 site. Graduated in European law from the University of Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne and listener to the 65th session of the IHEDN (Institut des Hautes Etudes de la Défense Nationale. Journalist since 1989, founded B2 - Bruxelles2 in 2008. EU/NATO correspondent in Brussels for Sud-Ouest (previously West-France and France-Soir).

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