Slobodan Samardzic, DSS, the Minister for Kosovo-Metohija in Government of Serbia yesterday that the SAA can only be ratified if the EU changes its stance on Kosovo.

Samardzic stated that the EU had taken over the role of implementing Kosovo’s independence. He asserted that the only way the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU could be ratified was if Serbia had a clear policy, and if the EU changed its stand regarding Kosovo.

He said that the harsh rhetoric directed at President Boris Tadi? for signing the SAA was “understandable.”

Samardzic said, “The EU’s mission is working to achieve Kosovo independence, based explicitly on Ahtisaari’s document. Is that not enough for everyone to realize that this is a threat to those people that they will be in an Albanian state?”

“And if those people use the occasional strong word—which should be condemned in my personal opinion—if they are threatening, that is more understandable to me than when representatives of your government sign such a document with an international legal entity that is openly looking to tear your country apart,” He surmised.