European Union President Slovenia said today it backed signing an accord with Serbia that is a first step towards EU membership as soon as possible.
"I am one of those who believe the SAA [Stabilisation and Association Agreement] should be signed as soon as possible, possibly by the end of this month, but some of our colleagues have to be persuaded this is a good idea," Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel said.
The signing of the agreement with Serbia has been held up by its failure to transfer Bosnian Serb wartime commander Ratko Mladic to a UN war crimes tribunal in the Hague on genocide charges.
It requires unanimous agreement of the 27 EU member states.
There is growing pressure within the EU to take the key step with Belgrade to help pro-European reformist President Boris Tadic, who is seeking re-election in a vote scheduled for January 21st with a second round expected on February 3rd.
Former chief war crimes prosecutor Carla del Ponte repeatedly warned the EU against signing the SAA before Mladic was captured, saying that was the strongest leverage to make Serbia comply.
The Netherlands, home to the war crimes court for the former Yugoslavia, has said it will only agree to signing the accord once Mladic is on a plane to the Hague.